A photo of Dustin Diamond. (Image courtesy of dustindiamondofficial)
Highlights
- “Dustin didn’t suffer,” said the actor’s agent
- “He didn’t have to be in pain,” the officer added
- Diamond launched his career with ‘Good Morning, Miss Bliss’
New York:
American actor Dustin Diamond, best known for playing the nerdy Screech in the hit TV series Saved by the bell, died Monday, his agent said, just weeks after he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. He was 44. “He was only diagnosed with this brutal, brutal form of malignant cancer three weeks ago. At the time, it managed to spread rapidly through his system,” the agent, Roger Paul, told AFP news agency. Dustin didn’t suffer. He didn’t have to lie in pain. We are grateful for that. ‘ Born in California, Diamond started his career at Good morning, Miss Bliss, a series about junior high students that lasted only one season, but spawned Saved by the bell.
Dustin Diamond’s Screech character, along with a number of others, were transferred to California’s fictional Bayside High School for Clock, which aired for four seasons from 1989.
The light-hearted show tackling the highs and lows of adolescence was popular both in the United States and abroad.
Diamond’s unusual Samuel “Screech” Powers was the perfect foil for Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s Zack Morris.
While he was a major reason for the show’s success, Diamond’s career didn’t take off after that.
– ‘You will be missed’ –
Different from some Saved by the bell spin-offs and films made for television, he did not often work in small roles.
His all-telling book was published in 2009“Behind the bell featured some juicy behind-the-scenes stories on the set – but Diamond later admitted it was full of made-up anecdotes.
In 2015, he was sentenced to four months in prison for carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct in connection with a stabbing at a bar.
He was released for a month in early 2016 for good behavior.
In recent years, Diamond has worked as a stand-up comedian and has appeared on several reality TV shows.
“We are aware that Dustin is not considered a good name by most. He has a history of accidents, of unfortunate events,” his agent said Monday.
“We want the public to understand that he was not willfully malicious. (…) His actions, although rebuked, were due to loss and lack of knowledge of how to properly handle that pain.”
Last year when the rest of the Saved by the bell cast reunited for another reboot, Diamond did not appear.
His former co-stars paid tribute to him on Monday.
“Deeply saddened to hear of the death of Dustin Diamond, a true comic genius,” Gosselaar wrote on Twitter.
When I look back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he could produce. A pie in your face, my comrade. ‘
Mario Lopez, who played AC Slater Clock, added: “Dustin, you will be missed my husband. The fragility of this life is something that is never taken for granted.”
(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV contributors and was published from a syndicated feed.)