Dustin Diamond, known for playing the adorable nerd Samuel “Screech” Powers on the hit sitcom “Saved by the Bell”, died Monday morning from a carcinoma. He was 44 years old.
The actor was diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized just three weeks ago.
“At that time, it managed to spread quickly throughout the system; the only mercy he displayed was his quick and sharp execution, ”said the actor’s agent, Roger Paul, in a statement. “Dustin didn’t suffer. He didn’t need to be in pain. For that, we are grateful. “
Diamond obtained his first official acting credits for small roles in the TV movie “Yogi’s Great Escape” and an episode of “It’s a Living” in 1987, and took on his leading role just a year later. In the cast of “Good Morning, Miss Bliss”, the actor played Screech in 13 episodes. The show would become the basis for “Saved by the Bell”, in which Diamond acted until 1992.
As his character left high school, Diamond continued to reprise his role for the franchise in several spinoffs, including “Saved by the Bell: The College Years” and “Saved by the Bell: The New Class”, the last of which he starred for about six years.
The star also appeared as himself in a variety of programs and films after his stint as Screech, including “Made”, “Dickie Roberts: Ex-Child Star”, “Four Corners Road” and “American Pie Presents: The Book of Love. “ He also had stints on reality shows, including the fifth season of “Celebrity Fit Club”, “The Weakest Link” and “Celebrity Boxing 2.” He wrote a memoir about his time with the “Saved by the Bell” franchise. Titled “Behind the Bell”, the book chronicles alleged controversies related to cast members, including Diamond himself.
Diamond was married to Jennifer Misner from 2009 until her separation in 2013.
Diamond appeared on “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2013 and performed in the now defunct musical group, Salty the Pocketknife.
Diamond was arrested in 2014 and served three months in prison in 2015 for stabbing a man during a bar fight. He was arrested again in May 2016 for violating the terms of his probation.
“We are aware that Dustin is not considered reliable by the majority. He has a history of setbacks, unfortunate events. We want the public to understand that he was not intentionally malevolent, ”said Paul. “He – like the rest of those who act badly and behave badly – went through a lot of turmoil and headaches. His actions, although reprehensible, resulted from the loss and the lack of knowledge on how to properly process this pain. In fact, Dustin was a good-natured and witty individual whose greatest passion was making others laugh. He was able to feel and feel other people’s emotions to the point that he was also able to feel them – a strength and a failure, all in one. “