It is Cult Faction’s sad duty to report that Screech himself, Dustin Diamond has passed away at the age of 44 years old from Stage 4 lung cancer. Reports indicate Dustin passed away this morning after his condition greatly declined since it was reported last week. He was taken off of breathing machines in an attempt to get him to hospice care. His girlfriend was by his side when he passed away.
Known globally for his role as Samuel “Screech” Powers, he began the role in 1988’s Good Morning Miss Bliss, continuing it as the show morphed into Saved By the Bell, and then in Saved By the Bell: The College Years and Saved By The Bell: The New Class. He also appeared in the franchise’s spin-off TV movies. He also appeared as Screech in Hang Time when the shows crossed over. in 1997. Then in 2000 he appeared in Hang Time as himself!
“Screech and I have a lot in common. We are both strange, funny, interested in computers, good at chess, and chick magnets.”
Outside of the Saved By the Bell franchise Dustin had roles in Big Top Pee-Wee, Purple People Eater, She’s Out of Control, The Wonder Years, The Munsters Today, Long Shot, Big Fat Liar, Duck Dodgers, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Robot Chicken, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, and Hamlet A.D.D.
“I hope people stop remembering me as Screech and remember me as Dustin Diamond. I think my stand-up routine is helping that.”
Dustin was not invited to participate in two fairly high-profile events that reunited the main cast of “Saved by the Bell”: a 2009 cover story for “People” magazine on the 20th anniversary of the show’s debut on NBC, and a 2015 skit on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” that had Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Theissen, Mario Lopez, and Elizabeth Berkley (along with Dennis Haskins) reprise their characters on the show. He later stated that he did not want to participate in the Saved By The Bell reunions.
“When all is said and done I’m going to look back on my career . . . and I’m going to be proud of it all.”
More Stories
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters gets a second season
New trailers revealed for Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger vs. Donbrothers and Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger vs. Kyoryuger
The Savage Hunt of King Stakh has been fully restored and coming to bluray!