Dustin Diamond, best known for his portrayal of the captivating nerd Screech in “Saved by the Bell”, completed his first round of chemotherapy for his stage 4 lung cancer, an actor’s representative said on Thursday.
Diamond’s manager revealed the 44-year-old’s diagnosis of cancer last week, but said the former child star was awaiting test results to know the exact location and nature of the cancer.
On Thursday, Diamond’s representative, Roger Paul, told NBC News that he is battling stage 4 small cell carcinoma.
Diamond’s next round of chemotherapy is being scheduled and he will soon begin physical therapy, Paul said.
“Dustin is looking forward to spending more time with his girlfriend, playing his bass / video game, as well as making videos for his fans on social media,” Paul said in a statement.
Diamond has received letters from fans, added Paul, providing the address of an auto insurance office in Illinois to other fans who wish to express their support.
Diamond gained fame in the 1990s with his role as Samuel “Screech” Powers in “Saved by the Bell. He played the role of best friend and assistant to the decidedly non-geek main character, Zack Morris.
Although most of the show’s original cast has restarted the sitcom on the Peacock streaming platform, Diamond did not reprise his role. Peacock is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.
Diamond wrote the 2009 book, “Behind the Bell”, which portrayed the cast in a less than flattering way.
He also made some enemies by appearing on the reality show “Celebrity Fit Club”, in which he took on the role of villain.
In 2001, Diamond filed for bankruptcy.
He was also arrested and convicted of his role in a fight in a Wisconsin bar in 2014, in which Diamond stabbed another client of the bar in the armpit with a pocket knife. He was put on a job release program after starting his four-month sentence and was released a month earlier for good behavior.
