Former co-stars of the late actor Dustin Diamond of “Saved By The Bell” are remembering the actor after his untimely death, including series leader Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
Currently starring in both ABC’s “Mixed-ish” and Peacock’s “Saved By The Bell”, Gosselaar, 46, appeared at “Tamron Hall” Tuesday to share his thoughts on Dustin’s sudden death at 44, telling Hall : “It is always difficult when someone dies. I think it is even more so when the individual is someone you know and is Dustin’s age. Just a few weeks ago we heard about his diagnosis and it is shocking to be so fast.”
Dustin’s team confirmed his cancer diagnosis in mid-January and he immediately started chemotherapy for stage 4 small cell carcinoma that had metastasized in his lungs.
“Me and the rest of the cast are going to get together at some point and kind of express our feelings, but yes, it happened so fast that we were all very shocked by this,” added Gosselaar.
With the exception of Diamond, all the main members of the “SBTB” cast returned to Peacock’s reboot in 2021. Gosselaar went on to explain how, over time, the group simply broke up over the years.
“It’s interesting. Many people may not understand that you can work with someone for years – you can be very close, you see that person every day for an entire season of filming and then, once things are over, the camera stops , you just separate, “he said. “There is no other reason than that things just happen in life and before you know it, years have passed and I think that’s what happened to Dustin with the rest of the cast.”
Other co-stars Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley shared their own tributes to Diamond.