Hollywood and fans around the world are mourning the loss of a beloved TV figure.
Dustin Diamond, known to viewers as Samuel “Screech” Powers on Saved by the Bell, died on Monday, Feb. 1 from carcinoma, his rep confirmed to E! News. The actor was 44 years old.
The longtime Saved by the Bell star’s passing comes less than a month after he was hospitalized following mystery pain. The star was subsequently diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and began chemotherapy.
“He was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago. In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution,” his rep said in a statement. “Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful.”
Viewers became very familiar with Diamond over the course of Good Morning, Miss Bliss, four seasons of Saved by the Bell, as well as seven seasons of the spin-off, Saved by the Bell: The New Class and two TV movies. He last appeared in the short film, Catching Up, released in February 2020. In recent years, he made headlines for run-ins with the law and served jail time in 2016.