Yahoo News Saved by the Bell stars pay tribute to Dustin Diamond following his death
The cast of classic US sitcom Saved by the Bell have paid tribute to their former co-star Dustin Diamond, following his sad death at the age of 44.
Diamond – who played Samuel 'Screech' Powers on the series – passed away yesterday (February 1), just three weeks after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar, better known as Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, led the tributes, calling his friend and co-star "a true comedic genius". Writing on Twitter, Gosselaar said that he was "deeply saddened" to learn of Diamond's death.
"Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce," he continued. "A pie in your face, my comrade."
Related: Saved by the Bell reboot reveals Screech's surprise fate
AC Slater actor Mario Lopez shared a photo of the two together on Twitter. "Dustin, you will be missed my man," he wrote. "The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on..."
In a separate interview with Variety, Lopez reflected on his time working with Dustin. "He was iconic," he said.
"In general, his little looks and facial expressions and voice and the way it cracked, it was just the quintessential goofy, lovable fun nerd and it really resonated with the kids. That was all him; he was kind of like Screech in real life."
Tiffani Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski, echoed Lopez's sentiment in an Instagram post, writing: "I am deeply saddened by the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing.
"Life is extremely fragile and it's something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin."
Remembering Diamond as "a truly gifted talent", Elizabeth Berkley (aka Jessie Spano) also paid her respects in an Instagram post. "I'm grateful to have gotten to create with Dustin when we were at the beginning of our dreams coming true," she wrote.
"I will hold onto those sweet memories and the laughs we shared. He was a truly gifted talent. Rest In Peace".
Speaking to US Weekly, Saved by the Bell's executive producer Peter Engel called Diamond "a comedy genius", and said that his death was "heart-breaking", adding: "It's a sad, sad day."
Although a beloved and integral part of the original Saved by the Bell, Dustin Diamond did not star in last year's reboot. Explaining his character's absence, it was revealed that Screech had instead moved to the International Space Station with his robot Kevin.
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