(GNB Desk): Dustin Diamond, best known for his role as Screech on the TV show “Saved by the Bell”, has died from cancer at age 44, according to his manager. Diamond was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in January.
The actor had been hospitalized in Florida where he was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful,” the actor’s spokesman, Roger Paul, said in a statement.
“Dustin Diamond was a character in and of himself: an unpredictable spitfire who always left us shocked, but never left us bored,” Paul added. “We please ask that you give room for privacy to our team and Mr. Diamond’s family during this tragic time, as we grieve and remember the memories spent together. This loss is as much stinging as it is sudden.”
“Dustin, you will be missed my man. The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on,” wrote Mario Lopez, while Tiffani Thiessen said in a statement, “I am deeply saddened by the news of my old co-star Dustin Diamond passing. Life is extremely fragile and it’s something we should never take for granted.”
“Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius,” Diamond’s co-star Mark-Paul Gosselaar said in a statement. “My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce. A pie in your face, my comrade.”
At age 11, Diamond landed the role of Screech on the pilot of Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1988. In a unique twist, the character was both a hopeless dork and the best friend of the coolest kid in school, Zack Morris. Good Morning, Miss Bliss lasted just one season before it was retooled as Saved by the Bell in 1989. Half the cast was let go, but Screech survived the transition and soon became a favorite of the young Saturday-morning audience that quickly turned the show into a generational touchstone.
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