RIP Dennis Haskins

 

‘Saved by the Bell’ star Dennis Haskins dead at 75

Haskins originated the role on 'Good Morning, Miss Bliss' and played Principal Belding for more than a decade

YAHOO News

By Stephanie Giang-Paunon

September 29, 2026

 

Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for playing Bayside High School Principal Richard Belding on the hit sitcom "Saved by the Bell," has died. He was 75.

Haskins' representative confirmed his death to Fox News Digital, saying, "It’s a tragic loss. Everyone loved Mr. Belding and those of us who got to know Dennis loved him even more. He was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans. He always had time for them, no matter what. He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I’m heartbroken."

His cause of death is currently unknown.

Haskins' former "Saved by the Bell" co-stars are remembering the actor following his death.

Mario Lopez, who played A.C. Slater, was among those to pay tribute to Haskins, remembering his former co-star as someone who brought a playful energy to the set despite portraying Bayside High's principal.

"Heartbroken to hear about my old friend Dennis Haskins. He played the principal, but Dennis was the biggest kid on the SBTB set. If you knew him, you loved him—and if there was karaoke, you knew Dennis was getting on that mic! I’m grateful for the laughs, the memories, and the friendship we shared all these years. Rest easy, my friend. You’ll always be part of our Bayside family," he wrote in a heartfelt social media post.

Tiffani Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski, also shared memories of Haskins, on Instagram.

"Dennis Haskins was a steady presence in my teenage years, the kind of figure who kept us in line while making sure we knew he was in our corner. I will always remember his kindness and be grateful for the memories we as a cast got to share with him. RIP Mr. B"

Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle on the hit sitcom, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, reflecting on her nearly 40-year friendship with Haskins.

Voorhies called him a "fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with such a kind, gentle heart," and said she would miss his warmth and laughter.

Her tribute highlighted the longtime bond between the cast members, who remained connected decades after the original series ended.

Haskins was born Nov. 18, 1950, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He became one of the most recognizable faces of the "Saved by the Bell" franchise, portraying the often-exasperated Principal Belding as he tried to keep Zack Morris, portrayed by Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and his fellow Bayside students in line.

His journey as Mr. Belding began before "Saved by the Bell" officially hit NBC.

Haskins originated the role on the Disney Channel series "Good Morning, Miss Bliss," which was reworked into "Saved by the Bell." He continued playing Belding throughout the original series and later reprised the character on "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," extending his run with the beloved principal across more than a decade.

Haskins became closely identified with the character, whose frequent "Hey, hey, hey!" catchphrase became a signature moment of the series as Principal Belding attempted to rein in Morris and his classmates.

His other TV credits and appearances included "The Dukes of Hazzard," "The West Wing," "7th Heaven," "Mad Men," "New Girl," "Hot in Cleveland" and "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

Haskins is survived by son Dustin.

HASKINS, Dennis (Dennis Button Haskins IV)

Born: 11/18/1950, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Died: 9/27/2026, Burbank, California, U.S.A.

 

Dennis Haskins’ western – actor:

A Million Ways to Die in the West – 2014 (snake oil salesman)

RIP Rafael Molina

 

Farewell to Rafael Molina, the film specialist from Valencia who dedicated his life to Fort Bravo in Tabernas

The owner and manager of the town of El Oeste died on Tuesday at the age of 74

La Voz de Almeria

By Evaristo Martinez

9/29/2026

 

The world of Almeria cinema and the universe of action actors from the towns of the West of Tabernas are in mourning after losing one of the most important figures of the audiovisual population of the province: the businessman Rafael Molina Perales, owner and manager of the town of Fort Bravo-Texas Hollywood, died this Tuesday at the age of 74.

He was also one of the co-founders and co-organizers of the Almería Western Film Festival (AWFF), whose management mourns his death. "Rafa Molina is part of the history of the western in Almeria. His passion, his dedication and his commitment to cinema and to the Tabernas desert leave an indelible mark on our festival and on the entire Almeria film family. He will always be with us," they say in a statement in which they convey their condolences to his family, friends and all the people who shared his passion for cinema with him.

At the express wish of his family, the management of the AWFF communicates that the wake will begin this Wednesday, September 30 from 1:00 p.m. and that the funeral mass will take place at 9:00 p.m. at the Sol de Portocarrero Funeral Home in Almeria.

A life out of a movie

Born in the Valencian town of Enguera in 1952, Rafael Molina arrived at the cinema in the mid-seventies, where he developed for 25 years a career as a stuntman, horseman and stunt double.

His filmography includes titles shot in Almeria locations such as the television series and 'The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones' and films such as 'Conan, the Barbarian' and 'The Adventures of Baron Münchausen'. His career was not limited only to Spain, but he also worked for audiovisual productions shot in Europe.

In 1981 he acquired, together with Paco Ardura, coordinator of semovantes, what was then known as the town of Juan García (its original owner), created in the mid-sixties. A year later they founded the company Decorados Cinematográficos Almería with the aim of continuing to host filming in their facilities. Soon after, the town opened to the public (the entrance cost 25 pesetas) and in 1984 they began to hold specialist shows for visitors.

At the beginning of the nineties, the venue was renamed Texas Hollywood and continued to grow with new services (restaurant, souvenir shop) and facilities (the military fort and the Indian camp). And since 2008 it has added Fort Bravo to its name. Recently, Molina bought his share from Ardura and was left as the sole owner and manager of the town.

During his years linked to the town, Fort Bravo-Texas Hollywood has served as a setting for the filming of titles such as 'Those Crazy Rustlers', 'A Dollar for the Dead', 'The Return of the Coyote', 'The Daltons vs. Lucky Luke', 'Blueberry, the Secret Experience', 'The Sisters Brothers' and '800 Bullets'. It has also been localized for music videos and advertising.

"Rafa was much more than a specialist and a businessman linked to cinema. He was one of the people who worked to keep the memory of the western alive in Almeria and a fundamental figure in the birth and growth of the Almeria Western Film Festival", they point out from the festival.

His career allowed Rafael Molina to become friends with great figures of cinema, such as Sancho Gracia and Terence Hill, who returned to the town last summer to shoot an advertisement.

MOLINA, Rafael (Rafael Molina Perales)

Born: 6/21/1952, Enguera, Valencia, Spain

Died: 9/29/2026, Almeria, Almeria, Spain

 

Rafael Molina’s westerns stuntman, actor, himself:

Silver Saddle - 1978 [stunts]

Sons of Trinity – 1994 (gambler)

El Fantasmo de Fort Bravo (TV) – 2014 [himself]

Spaghetti Western – 2014 [himself]

RIP Philippa Baker

 

Beloved soap actress dies as heartbroken tributes flood in

AOL

By Jess Phillips

September 28, 2026

 

Soap actress Philippa Baker has sadly died at the age of 93. Philippa was best known for her roles in Australian soap opera Number 96 and long-running radio series Blue Hills, in which she played Roma Godolfus and Scottish nurse Hea, respectively. Blue Hills landed her a legacy that came with starring in the longest-running radio soap at the time, before it was beaten by The Archers.

Celebrity agent Matt John Batten confirmed the sad news on Instagram, writing: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Philippa Baker. Philippa was one of the earliest performers of Australian radio, alongside stars Queenie Ashton, Ethel Lang, Gwen Plumb and her future Number 96 co-star Thelma Scott.

"She was part of the Golden Age of Australian Radio and spent five years in Gwen Meredith's long-running series Blue Hills as Scottish nurse Hea - as well as appearing in Dr. Paul. At the time, prior to Britain's The Archers, Blue Hills was the world's longest-running radio soap - running for 27 years - and was a spin-off from The Lawsons.

"She began her career in theatre in 1953, before moving to the new medium of television - continuing the theatre tradition in live televised plays - and later guest roles in Crawford Productions serials."

He added: "She is best remembered for Number 96 in the 1970s, as Russian deli worker Roma Lubinski - forming a beloved comedy duo with Johnny Lockwood as Aldo Godolfus. She later married his character Aldo, before both characters were killed off in the iconic bomb blast storyline. Baker and Lockwood also appeared together in the film version in 1974.

"Our thoughts are with her family, friends and fans. Rest in peace."

Philippa once described the early days of her acting career as the "happiest time of my life", saying: "Being young and having everyone around you sharing the same enthusiasm for the same thing. I think it's necessary for everyone to have a mad enthusiasm when they're young."

BAKER, Philippa

Born: 1932, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died: 9/26/2026,

 

Philippa Baker’s western – actress:

Five Mile Creek (TV) – 1984 (Mrs. Curtis)

RIP Antonio Canal

 

Tony Canal, the actor who gave life to Father Froilán in 'Cuéntame' and voiced Winnie the Pooh, dies

The Catalan actor has died at the age of 90 after six decades dedicated to theatre, film, television and dubbing

HOLA.com

By Julio P. Sanchez

September 25, 2026

 

Both the world of acting and the world of Spanish dubbing are today mourning the death of Tony Canal at the age of 90. Renowned actor, director and dubbing professional, whose career he built with talent and effort over six decades. At the moment, the causes of his death have not been revealed.

The actor, especially loved by all viewers for his role as Father Froilán Cardeñosa in Cuéntame cómo pasó, has passed away this Friday, September 25, 2026, as announced through his X account (formerly Twitter) by the Union of Dubbing Artists of Madrid (ADOMA):

"Today we say goodbye to TONY CANAL, a multidisciplinary actor in theater, film, television and dubbing with more than 60 years of experience. He was for 20 years the voice of the unforgettable 'Winnie the Pooh' in various series and films, as well as the snake Kaa in 'The Jungle Book 2' and, in his last years in office, Mayor Adam West in 'Family Guy'. Farewell, Tony," they have expressed publicly.

This news is the farewell of a performer whose career has accompanied several generations. Although his face has been especially linked to one of the most popular series on Spanish television, Tony Canal had a much longer career than that single role.

Father Froilán who conquered the viewers of Cuéntame

For many viewers, Canal will always be that priest of the parish of San Gerano who was part of the Alcántara universe for years. The actor participated in 164 episodes of Cuéntame cómo pasó, playing this parish priest who came to the neighborhood to take over from Father Eugenio.

A character who had a completely different personality from his predecessor. Someone much more conservative, although also willing to adapt to the new times, Father Froilán tried to get closer to the young people and keep alive that relationship of the parish with the residents of San Gerano.

Canal joined this renowned series from its inception and remained linked to it for 14 years, becoming one of the most recognized secondary faces of TVE production.

A lifetime dedicated to acting

Born in Barcelona in 1936, Tony Canal trained as an actor at the Barcelona Theatre Institute and also at Adrià Gual's School of Dramatic Art. In 1962 he began his professional career and later moved to Madrid, a city where he would develop a good part of his career.

Theatre occupied a fundamental place in his life. Over the years he participated in numerous productions of different genres, even becoming part of the first teams of actors that made up the companies linked to the creation of the National Dramatic Center and the National Classical Theater Company. He was also a finalist in the category of Best Supporting Actor at the Max Awards for the Performing Arts in 2013, one of the main recognitions of theatre and dance in Spain.

On television she worked on projects such as Brigada Central, Teresa de Jesús, Este es mi barrio, Composite y sin novio, Géminis or El comisario. As for his film career, which was also extensive, with more than thirty films, titles such as Who Can Kill a Child?, The Crime of Cuenca, Libertarias and La caja 507 stand out.

Beyond his appearances on the screen, there was a facet of Antonio Canal that accompanied many viewers for years without his face being known: dubbing.

For approximately two decades she was the Spanish voice of Winnie the Pooh in different series and films. He also lent his voice to the snake Kaa in The Jungle Book 2 and even to Mayor Adam West in Family Guy, among other works. His dubbing career even reached the world of video games, where he returned to play his inseparable character Winnie the Pooh.

An actor passionate about his work, both in the theater and in front of the cameras and even behind them, dubbing characters that will remain in the memory of several generations.

CANAL, Antonio

Born: 1936, Barcelona, Spain

Died: 9/25/2026, Madrid, Madrid, Spain

 

Antonio Canal’s western – voice actor:

The Last Comanche – 1953 [Spanish voice of Jack Woody]

 Lone Star – 1996 [Spanish voice of Gordon Tootootsis]

RIP Rodolphe

 

Rodolphe, screenwriter of Kenya and Trent, has died at the age of 7 

Glénat informs us of the death of Rodolphe, a major figure in the comic book script, who died on September 22, 2026 at the age of 78. In a half-century of career and more than 200 albums, he has multiplied universes and collaborations, from Trent to Kenya, via Cliff Burton, Commissaire Raffini or Robert Sax.

Actua Litte

By Hocine Bouhadjera

9/23/2026

 

Born in 1948, Rodolphe had first been a literature teacher, then a bookseller and journalist before turning to screenwriting. His meeting with Jacques Lob in 1975 was decisive: he entered the world of comics and began a career that would span more than fifty years.

Nourished by Anglo-Saxon literature, fantasy, Celtic legends and rock'n'roll, the screenwriter develops a universe where adventure, mystery, science fiction and emotion intersect. Over the decades, he collaborated with many great names in the ninth art, including Leo, Griffo, André Juillard, Jacques Ferrandez, Annie Goetzinger and Michel Faure.

An important part of his work was built at Dargaud. With Leo, he signed Trent, then Kenya, whose universe was extended by Namibia, Amazonia and Scotland. It was also with Dargaud that he published the detective series Cliff Burton, created with Frederik Garcia and then continued with drawings by Michel Durand.

In 1980, with Jacques Ferrandez, he launched Les Enquêtes du commissaire Raffini, the first albums of which were published by Humanoïdes Associés. Several decades later, with Louis Alloing, he created Robert Sax, published by Delcourt, another police series set in Belgium in the 1950s.

At Glénat, his career also spans several decades. He is notably responsible for The Locks of Heaven, with Michel Rouge and François Allot, The Taï-Dor Cycle, Dock 21 - The Abyss of Time, The Mad Baron, alongside Michel Faure, and the adaptation of The Oracle Della Luna, with Frédéric Lenoir and Griffo.

His published work in the Glénat catalogue also includes Mojo, The One Who No Longer Existed, Dickens & Dickens and Memphis, starring Bertrand Marchal. More recently, Rodolphe had signed Chagrin, with Griffo on the drawing, published in March 2026.

Glénat salutes "an erudite, generous and passionate author", whose "infectious enthusiasm has profoundly marked the world of comics". The house sends its "most sincere condolences to his family, loved ones, friends and the entire community of the ninth art".

Rodolphe (Rodolphe Daniel Jacquette)

Born: 5/18/1948, Bois-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Died: 9/22/2026. Colombes, Paris, Île-de-France, France

 

Rodolphe’s westerns – comic book writer:

Trent – 1991-2000

Comanche – 2003

RIP Richard Harrison

 

Richard Harrison, Star of Spaghetti Westerns and Sword-and-Sandal Flicks, Dies at 90

The Salt Lake City native left Hollywood for Italy in the early 1960s and built a thriving B-movie career away from home.

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

September 23, 2026

 

Richard Harrison, the chiseled American actor who found fame and fortune overseas as the star of sword-and-sandal films, spaghetti Westerns and Z-grade ninja movies, has died. He was 91.

Harrison died Friday of natural causes in Los Angeles, producer and longtime friend Joan Borsten reported.

After showing up in small roles in such Hollywood films as 1958’s Too Much, Too Soon and South Pacific, Harrison headed to Italy and became an instant leading man in the mold of muscleman Steve Reeves with The Invincible Gladiator (1962).

The next year, he starred in Avenger of the Seven Seas and Gladiator 7, then followed in 1963 with Gunfight in the Red Sands (Duello Nel Texas), an Italian-Spanish spaghetti Western that featured a score by Ennio Morricone.

He turned down Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964) but said he recommended Clint Eastwood for the part of the unnamed stranger that jump-started his fellow expat’s career.

After work slowed in Europe in the late 1970s, Harrison starred in lots of low-budget ninja features out of Hong Kong for about a decade. He wound up making more than 100 B-movies (and even directed a handful) in his career.

Born in Salt Lake City on May 26, 1935, Harrison came to Hollywood at age 17, worked at gyms owned by bodybuilders Vic Tanny and Bert Goodrich and modeled for beefcake magazines before taking acting lessons at Fox under Sandy Meisner.

He landed bit parts in films including Kronos (1957); Jeanne Eagels (1957), starring Kim Novak; Too Much, Too Soon, starring Dorothy Malone; South Pacific, starring Mitzi Gaynor; and Tall Story (1960), starring Anthony Perkins.

On Master of the World (1961), starring Vincent Price, he met castmate Loretta Nicholson, the daughter of James H. Nicholson, a producer on the American International Pictures release, and they married in 1961.

Borsten said that Harrison hosted industry dinner parties that always ended with “pasta at midnight” and counted among his closest friends Reeves, George Cukor, Franco Nero, Gore Vidal, Troy Donahue, Tab Hunter, Stewart Stern, Al Bano and Romina Power.

During the Cold War in 1985, he helped Soviet actor Oleg Vidov, known as the “Russian Robert Redford,” defect at the U.S. embassy in Rome. (Vidov and Borsten married in 1989 and were together until his death in 2017.)

Returning to Los Angeles in 1986, Harrison and his second wife, Francesca, bought a run-down property in Malibu with an infinity view of the Pacific and built a home that they would call “Villa Francesca.” That home, however, was lost in the Palisades Fire last year.

In addition to his wife — they married in 1978 — survivors include three of his four children.

“Harrison never let his movie star status, especially in Italy where he couldn’t walk down the street without being recognized, go to his head,” Borsten noted. “Instead, he saw his unexpected career as an opportunity to see the world and meet interesting people.

“When asked how he’d choose his next project, he said he’d ask the producer where it was going to be shot and would accept if he’d never traveled to the location. Once on the plane, he’d finally read the script.”

HARRISON, Richard (Richard Franklin Harrison Jr.)

Born: 5/26/1936, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.

Died: 9/18/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Richard Harrison’s westerns – actor, director, assistant director, writer:

Gunfight at High Noon – 1963 (Jeff Walker)

Gunfight at Red Sands – 1963 (Ricardo ‘Gringo’ Martinez)

$100,000 for Ringo – 1965 (Ward Cluster/Lee Barton/Burton/Ringo)

El Rojo – 1966 (Donald ‘El Rojo’ Sorenson/Saroyan)

Vengeance – 1967 (Joko/Rocco Barrett/Django)

Between God, the Devil and a Winchester – 1968 (Father Pat Jordan)

One After the Other – 1968 (Stan Ross) 

Django Never Pardons – 1970 [film was never made]

The Long Ride of Revenge – 1970 (James Luke/Jeff Carter/Django)

Reverend Colt – 1970 (Sheriff Donovan)

Stagecoach of the Condemned - 1970 (Robert Walton/Wayne Sonnier)

Dig Your Grave Friend… Sabata’s Coming – 1971 (Steve McGowan)

The Giant’s Nail, the Legend of Phantom City – 1971 (Fred Burton) [film was never

      released]

His Name was King – 1971 (John ‘King’ Marley)

Holy Water Joe – 1971 (Charlie Bennett) [assistant director]

Joe Dakota – 1971 (Joe Dakota)

The Sheriff of Rock Springs – 1971 (Sheriff Hunter)

They Call Me Hallelujah – 1971 (monk)

Jesse and Lester, Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity – 1972 (Jesse Smith) [director, writer]

The Fabulous Trinity – 1972 (Scott)

Scalps – 1987 [writer]

Hey Cowboy! Portrait de l'acteur Richard Harrison Interview (TV) – 2006 [himself]

Por un puñado de westerns – 2007 [himself]

The Outsider – 2013 [himself]

RIP James Sloyan

 

James Sloyan, Actor in ‘The Sting,’ ‘Xanadu’ and ‘Oh Madeline,’ Dies at 85

He also appeared five times on television in the 'Star Trek' universe and was the voice of Lexus in commercials for almost two decades.

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

September 21, 2026

 

James Sloyan, the busy character actor who appeared in films including The Sting and Xanadu and played Madeline Kahn’s husband on her short-lived 1980s ABC sitcom, has died. He was 85.

Sloyan died July 22 at his home in Sherman Oaks, his family announced over the weekend.

Star Trek fans know him for his five appearances as a member of four species across The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager in the 1990s, and he served as the voice of Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus in commercials for 18 years starting in 1989.

In George Roy Hill’s The Sting (1973), winner of the Oscar for best picture, Sloyan helped set the plot in motion with his turn as Mottola, the numbers runner who works for racketeer Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) and falls victim to a “pigeon drop scam” perpetrated by Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones).

And in the Olivia Newton-John musical fantasy Xanadu (1980), he played Simpson, the tyrannical boss of Michael Beck’s artist Sonny Malone at AirFlow Records.

Sloyan landed the role of Kahn’s husband, a guy who writes steamy romance novels under the pen name Crystal Love, but the 1983-84 show — the first produced by Carsey-Werner Productions — lasted just 18 episodes.

The youngest of four kids, James Joseph Sloyan was born in Indianapolis on Feb. 24, 1941. His father, James Sr., was a construction engineer. When he was 4, he “discovered the delights of the Indianapolis State Fair, wrangling an appearance with [Western movie actor] Lash LaRue and his traveling Western Show,” his family said.

After spending time living overseas and in Albany, New York, Sloyan graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and served three years in the U.S. Army before returning to New York, where he acted and was a choreographer for fight scenes for Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival. (On X, Henry Winkler noted he was one of his sword fight instructors at drama school.)

He made it to Broadway in Arthur Kopit’s Indians in 1969, had the lead in such off-Broadway productions as Irv Bauer’s A Dream Out of Time and made his onscreen debut in the 1970 film The Traveling Executioner, starring Stacy Keach.

Sloyan, who moved to California in 1973, appeared in The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight (1971) and on episodes of The Doctors, The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak and Delvecchio before landing a regular role on the 1977 ABC drama Westside Medical.

He played a Romulan admiral and then the son of the Klingon Worf (Michael Dorn) on Next Generation, the Bajoran scientist Dr. Mora on Deep Space Nine and the Haakonian scientist Ma’bor Jetrel on Voyager.

His TV résumé also included the telefilms The Disappearance of Aimee, starring Faye Dunaway and Bette Davis, and The Billionaires Boys Club and stops on Wonder Woman, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Lou Grant, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, Cagney & Lacey, Moonlighting, Murder, She Wrote, Quantum Leap, The X-Files and NYPD Blue.

“Friends and colleagues remember him always present, always curious, courageous, inventive and loyal as well as brash, mouthy and very urban. He was one-of-a-kind,” his family said.

Survivors include his wife, actress Deirdre Lenihan (Needles and Pins, The Waltons), whom he married in 1973, and their children, Daniel, a musician, and Samantha Sloyan, an actress (The Life of Chuck, Dr. Penelope Blake on Grey’s Anatomy.

His brother, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Patrick Sloyan, died in February 2019.

SLOYAN, James (James Joseph Sloyan)

Born: 2/24/1940, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.

Died: 7/22/2026, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.A.

 

James Sloyan’s westerns – actor:

The Traveling Executioner – 1970 (Piquant)

Centennial (TV) - 1978 (Spade Larkin)

Paradise (TV) - 1990 (Joe Pratt)

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (TV) - 1995-1996 (Superintendent Hazen)