Dustin Diamond

Dustin Neil Diamond (January 7, 1977 – February 1, 2021) was an American actor and stand-up comedian.

He is best known for portraying Samuel "Screech" Powers throughout the Saved by the Bell franchise.

Diamond was born in San Jose, California, the son of Jaimee and Mark Diamond.

His father taught digital electronics for a computer processing firm, and his mother was a computer operator for Pacific Bell.

Diamond was Jewish and attended Zion Lutheran School.

Diamond began acting as a child.

He became known for playing Samuel "Screech" Powers on the television show Saved by the Bell, a role he played for close to thirteen years from its beginning as Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1988–89) through its final incarnation, Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1994–2000).

Continuing the series into college, Saved by the Bell: The College Years shows most of the cast transplanted into not only the same college, but also the same college dormitory, where Screech continued his typical misadventures.

The College Years was canceled after one season.

Diamond returned to Bayside High as Principal Belding's assistant in The New Class episodes, remaining with the show until its cancellation.

Diamond began doing stand-up comedy after the end of Saved by the Bell and toured on and off after that.

He was also featured on a number of game and reality shows including The Weakest Link and Celebrity Boxing 2.

He appeared at Memphis Championship Wrestling in April 2000.

He was a part of a skit with The Kat where he was beaten up by Chip Diver, the Fabulous Rocker, and Dannie B.

Diamond also made several cameo appearances in films, including appearances in Made (2001) and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003).

On September 18, 2002, he appeared on an NWA-TNA's Asylum weekly pay-per-view.

Billed as Screech, he challenged TNA's bellkeeper, Tiny the Bellkeeper, to a boxing match.

In 2006, Diamond directed and released his own celebrity sex tape, Screeched – Saved by the Smell.

According to Melanie McFarland's retelling of a press release, Diamond said the tape got out because he and a group of friends had a "monthly gathering" wherein they exchanged such tapes.

Several years later, Diamond said in a Where Are They Now? interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network that he was not in the sex tape; rather, a stunt double had his likeness superimposed.

In 2007, Diamond was a cast member of the fifth season of Celebrity Fit Club.

During his run on the show, he came into conflict with former American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, country singer Cledus T. Judd, rapper Da Brat, the program's host Ant, and the program's trainer, former USMC sergeant Harvey Walden IV.

During one episode, Diamond mentioned what may have happened if he were to challenge Ant to "physical combat" and after Harvey Walden defended Ant, Diamond subsequently said the same to him, causing Walden to lose his temper.

Following Celebrity Fit Club, Diamond played roles as "Alumnus Guy #1" in American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009), in a supporting role in the sports comedy Tetherball: The Movie (2010), and as Bernardo, the castle guard, in the partially-animated science fiction comedy Hamlet A.D.D. (2014).

In 2009, Diamond published an inside story of the show's cast and crew, from his point of view, titled Behind the Bell.

The book paints an unflattering portrait of many of Diamond's colleagues and their allegedly sordid backstage behavior.

Some of these claims have been repudiated by Diamond's colleagues and questioned by critics.

He appeared as a host at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos.

Diamond later commented on the book's content in a December 2013 appearance on an Oprah: Where Are They Now? segment on the OWN Network in which he stated that the book was ghost written by an author who simply interviewed him and compiled the book from his answers.

He claimed that many parts of the book, such as allegations of teen sex and drug use, were fabricated from very minor statements he made during the interviews.

Diamond was also a musician and formed an alternative metal band called Salty The Pocketknife.

Diamond played bass and wrote much of the music as well.

Shortly after recording their first album, the band split up due to internal disagreements.

Diamond also appeared on truTV's The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest... as a commentator.

In August 2013, Diamond became a housemate on the twelfth series of Celebrity Big Brother in the UK.

He became the fourth housemate to be evicted on Day 16.

Diamond was a spokesperson for the Rockford, Illinois-based insurance company Insurance King.

In some Insurance King commercials he is featured in, he makes several references to Saved By the Bell (with logos in the commercial saying “Saved By the King”).

In other commercials, he is shown to be pulled over, not caring about the already numerous tickets he has because he is “saved by the King!”, being in a Western style standoff, and being a terrible barber.

Diamond was a fan of professional wrestling.