Best known as Screech in Saved By the Bell

Dustin Diamond, the actor known for playing the quirky character Screech on NBC's hit series Saved By the Bell, died Monday after being diagnosed with cancer last month. He was 44.

His longtime talent agent, Roger Paul, confirmed the news in a statement: “We are saddened to confirm of Dustin Diamond's passing on Monday, February 1st, 2021 due to carcinoma. He was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago,” he said. “In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution. Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful.”

TMZ, the first outlet to report the news, reported several weeks ago that Diamond was hospitalized in Florida after feeling pain, and two days later, a representative told Entertainment Weekly that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Diamond was familiar to a generation of fans as Samuel “Screech” Powers, the wacky pal of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) on Saved by the Bell, the popular high school comedy that ran on NBC from 1989 through 1993. He played the geek, the weirdo, the one who clearly did not fit in with the cool kids of Bayside High, yet they accepted him in their circle anyway. He might have been the token nerd, but for the legions of kids who ran to the TV when they heard the school bell signal the show's theme song, he was a beloved member of the group.

He appeared for 13 years on the franchise. Afterward, Diamond made the reality television rounds for '90s TV stars, including stints on Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrity Boxing 2 and Celebrity Big Brother.

Diamond struggled to adjust after years of teenage fame. His public issues included filming a sex tape in 2006, though he later revealed that he used a body double. He also spent three weeks in jail in 2016 after getting into a bar fight in Wisconsin.

“In actuality, Dustin was a humorous and high-spirited individual whose greatest passion was to make others laugh. He was able to sense and feel other peoples' emotions to such a length that he was able to feel them too-a strength and a flaw, all in one,” his agent said.

Dustin Diamond