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Actor Dustin Diamond has died of the age of 44 from Stage 4 lung cancer, TMZ reports. Diamond was best known for playing Samuel “Screech” Powers on beloved sitcom Saved by the Bell.
Diamond’s representative tells TMZ that the actor died Monday morning. The actor was first diagnosed with Stage 4 small cell carcinoma in early January, but his condition declined rapidly in the past week, and he was taken off respiratory machines as his medical team attempted to move him to hospice care. According to TMZ, Diamond’s father was with him at the time of his death.
The Saved by the Bell star was hospitalized in Florida on January 12 after experiencing severe body pain. Two days later, his representative revealed that Diamond had been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and was receiving chemotherapy treatment. “He’s undergoing chemo so he will be there at least another week and then we will figure out when he gets to come home,” his rep told Entertainment Weekly on January 14. “By next week, we’ll have a much better understanding of the severity of his condition and what treatments he will need so that he’s comfortable.”
Unfortunately, TMZ reports that Diamond’s cancer had metastasized in his lungs, and he was unable to recover.
Diamond was best known for playing Screech, Zack Morris’ (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) sidekick, on all four seasons of Saved by the Bell, which aired from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He later reprised his role in spinoff series Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, as well as TV movies Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas and Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style.
In addition to his star turn on Saved by the Bell, Diamond appeared in countless high profile film and television projects, including 13th Grade, Big Fat Liar, Hang Time, and Robot Chicken. His final role came in 2020 short Catching Up, in which he played a music teacher.
Rest in Peace, Dustin Diamond. You will be missed.
