After being rescued by the Bell, Diamond made many reality TV appearances, including Celebrity Big Brother. Ben A. Pruchnie / Getty Images Hide caption
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Ben A. Pruchnie / Getty Images
After being rescued by the Bell, Diamond made many reality TV appearances, including Celebrity Big Brother.
Ben A. Pruchnie / Getty Images
Dustin Diamond, the actor best known for his role as Screech on the hit sitcom Saved by the Bell, died of cancer on Monday. According to a statement by his manager Roger Paul, “He was only diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer three weeks ago. During that time, it managed to spread rapidly through his system. The only grace it showed was its sharpness and quick execution. “He was 44 years old.
As Samuel “Screech” Powers, Diamond played the goofy, nerdy sidekick on Saved by the Bell. He was a foil to the troubled charm of Zack Morris (played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and an annoyance to the rich and crafty Lisa Turtle (played by Lark Voorhies). Although Diamond has been tied to the show from his predecessor Good Morning, Miss Bliss, until his spin-off Saved the Be Bell: The New Class, he didn’t appear on the current iteration of the show streamed on Peacock.
After being saved by the bell, Diamond distanced himself from the figure. In 2006 he directed and released a sex tape called “Screeched” which he later reported to the Oprah Winfrey Network that it had been faked with a stunt person.
“People look down on me to this day,” he said. “And I didn’t really do it.”
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Diamond also appeared on a variety of reality TV shows in the 2000s, including Celebrity Fit Club, Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling, and Celebrity Big Brother. In these shows, and in his 2009 book Behind the Bell, Diamond came across as bitter and possibly offensive. But his manager Roger Paul said in the statement: “[Diamond] – much like the rest of those who misbehave – had seen a lot of turmoil and heartbreak. Although his actions were refutable, they were based on loss and a lack of knowledge of how to properly process this pain. “
“In reality,” the statement went on, “Dustin was a humorous and temperamental person whose greatest passion was making others laugh. He could sense and feel other people’s feelings for so long that he could feel them.” also – a strength and a flaw rolled into one. “
