Post by Erika on Mar 7, 2008 12:29:00 GMT -5
As part of the Grand Re-opening of the website, I have for you an EXCLUSIVE interview with our favorite Principal, Dennis Haskins (A.K.A Mr. Belding!) This interview has questions developed straight from fans like you. Our wonderful forum members delightfully participated in this occasion and I, along with Carrie, Barb, and Katie, moderators of the forum, hand picked the questions. Although it was extremely difficult to choose between them all, we think you'll enjoy reading his answers to our never before asked questions!
Our thanks goes out to Mr. Haskins himself, his kind and supportive brother, and to those fans who helped with this task!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: This interview was done via e-mail. However, please don't ask me for his e-mail address. Thanks.
Dear Mr. Haskins,
The fans at SBTB:Now are so grateful for your kindness and willingness to hold this interview for us. We appreciate it so much! The questions below are a collection of questions asked by the BEST SBTB Fans in the world! We want to thank you for taking the time to answer them for us. You’re the BEST!
Sincerely,
The Fans at SavedbytheBellNow.com
PS Have fun!
1. Where did the signature high-pitch Mr. Belding laugh come from? Do you ever find yourself accidentally doing it now? (~Muffin Sangria)
The laugh was actually mine. When something strikes me really funny, my voice goes into a higher register for some reason. The producers of Good Morning, Miss Bliss heard me laugh like that to one of Hayley Mill's lines and the rest if history. From that point forward it said in the script "Belding laughs". I can do it on cue now.
2. How much influence did you, or the other actors, have on the script writing? Did they ever allow you to change or improvise scenes during a rehearsal? (~Muffin Sangria)
We had a terrific staff of writers. Our deal with them was to let them hear their stuff first, to give it a chance, so to speak, before we tried to change any of it. However, on a rare occasion we managed to get one in. The "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?" was something I did as a joke on our director. He used to say the "hey's" in an ascending manner to get our attention. One day, for fun, I took a line that said "Hey, what is going on here?" and added the extra "hey's" in a descending scale. And the rest is history. That was in mine and don't let anyone tell you any different!
3. Mr. B definitely is the principal we’d all wish to have. He is funny, honest, involved, and most importantly, is always there to guide the students with their choices. How did you first prepare to play the role of a school principal? Did you observe real life principals ever? (~Erika)
Well Erika, of course we are all affected by our grade school and high school principals. But I can honestly say that I just did the best I could with what the writers had given me. Again, the writers and I had a deal. Actually Tom Tenowich, the head writer at the time, and I made the deal. They could have as much fun as they wanted to with how Mr. Belding behaved as long as the students would still respect him tomorrow as the principal
4. How was the production schedule? Like other TV shows, did you tape every season from mid-summer 'til mid-spring? Or because of the teen cast, was the schedule different? (~Fran)
We were on a five day schedule that started on Monday and taped on Friday. The kids, however, came to school early Monday through Wednesday and the rest of us went to work about 11am with them after their school for that morning. Thursday and Friday were a little more complicated because the kids had to have a certain number of hours a week and they didn't always have it by Thursday. This meant that the stage managers would have to take them in and out of class to rehearse and then go back to school. Not a fun schedule.
5. Since you were playing a father figure type role, did you feel like a friend or a father figure to the other actors? (~TatFan)
Early on I was willing to give advice but I soon learned that the rest of the class had good ideas too! I was doing a scene with Mark Paul when the director took a break. For some reason I asked MP what he thought of the scene we were rehearsing. He looked a little surprised at first but then came up with some good ideas. From that point forward I tried to treat the rest of the cast as equals and not older or younger. I think that helped bond the on camera students to Mr. Belding in an interesting way.
6. Between takes, what did you usually do in your spare time? Did the cast ever include you in anything they did? (~Barb1686)
I'm going to play with your words a little Barb. The seven of us were "the cast" And, yes, sometimes we would do things together and other times we wouldn't. Sometimes as a group we would go to Jerry's Deli or Ed Debevic's and hang out. Parents, producers, actors, everybody!
7. When you were done filming the show, did you take anything home with you? Do you still have any of it? (~Barb1686)
Good question. I have the complete desk set up for Mr. Belding's office including my pencils that never moved, That was an inside joke. I also got them to cut out the pay phone area from the entrance to the Max. There was a mountain of chewing gum on the back side of that wall. I wanted it and I got it!
8. Is there a certain day that really sticks out in your memory from your days on Saved by the Bell? (~Barb1686)
I would have to say the day I handed out diplomas to the graduating original class was a little tough emotionally. We know that things were going to change and never be the same again.
9. Did you ever eat Screech's spaghetti sauce? (~elliot5)
Are you serious! Would you? No, I didn't.
10. What is your current project that you are working on? (~brandon0688)
I am currently touring across the country to Colleges and Universities reminiscing with the students there about the show their entire generation grew up with.
I also just did a cameo on The Family Guy as Mr. Belding, a pod cast for Adult Swim while they aired a few late night SBTB's and I have a movie that is supposed to start in June. I'll keep you posted.
11. Are you annoyed about the way Lions Gate handled the DVD's (too many cuts) especially your famous Dance scene (These boots are made for walking)? (~mn)
If they took that out, that's a shame. Sometimes episodes were cut for time after leaving the network because syndication has even less time to air an episode.
12. Besides touring colleges, what do you do in your spare time now? (~elliot5)
I do charity events for a variety of causes from Hal Sutton and David Tom's event in Shreveport, LA for their new children's hospital, to Jim Calhoun's event in Connecticut for battling cancer, to a bigger event in Raleigh NC, The Jimmy V for Cancer research and many many more including one next week in my Home town that Pat Boone has been attending for 27 years benefiting Te Bethel Bible Village Children's Home.
13. SBTB is our favorite show, but what is yours? (~Carrie)
Even though The West Wing is going off, I loved that show. So many fine actors. Also Grey's Anatomy is a terrific show with a stellar cast. and there's something about Deal or No Deal that I can't quit watching~
14. You seem to have a really good repertoire and take interest in teenagers and young adults, both on the show (obviously), but also on your speaking tours. After acting, and basketball, did you ever consider becoming a teacher? (~Muffin Sangria)
I have taught private acting classes primarily in Atlanta and Chattanooga, my home town. However, I'm hoping acting will carry me through as long as I want it!
15. If Saved by the Bell (the original series) was aired today, do you think it would be as successful? Why or why not? (~SbtbNut)
Actually, in a strange way, it is being aired today, only with a younger audience who are watching it like it is brand new. It's amazing!
16. In your opinion, did the role of Mr. Belding change between Good Morning Miss Bliss and Saved by the Bell: The New Class? (~SbtbNut)
I like to think that Mr. Belding evolved from the beginnings of Miss Bliss to somewhat extreme things on The New Class. The original Bell years were right on the nose. I felt like, toward the end, the writers let Screech and Mr. Belding down on several occasions. They had us hugging way too much, massages in the office for goodness sake and other things. All in all though, the writes did a terrific job.
17. Working with kids in the '90s and touring and talking to kids now, are there any differences between the generations? (~QueenKelly)
You know, you would think that there would be a bigger difference but there really isn't. Education and morals still affect who you. The more you have of each the better kids seem to handle themselves. I did notice a huge change in the type of kid we had between the original Bell and the New Class. There was definitely a culture change. That's not a judgment, just an observation.
18. If a reunion happens in the future, what kind of reunion would you like to see? A TV movie? Or would you rather see a retrospective where the cast talks about the show? Why would you choose one over the other? (Friar Raybo)
I would love for everyone to get together but I honestly don't see it happening. There are way too many miles that we have all traveled that have taken us is so many opposite directions. Mark Paul and Lisa just had their second child. Tiffany is married as is Elizabeth, Mario is working on The Bold and The Beautiful. Tiffany just wrote, produced and directed her first film. Elizabeth has been on Broadway twice in the last three years and she, too, is married. And so it goes.
19. If there is one thing that you can go back and change about Saved by the Bell, what would it be? (~Nem)
Honestly, I don't think I would change much. I would change that New Class episode where Screech finds Rachel's diary where she had said bad things about The Chief, Me. So they had Screech and I voting her a 0 for her cheerleading competition. Mr. Belding would never have done that. Screech maybe but not Mr. B.
20. Did you connect as well with The New Class as you did with the original cast? (~QueenKelly)
On an entire cast level, probably not as much as the original. After all, there can only be one first. However, I just ran into Lindsey McKeon and was thrilled. Sarah Lancaster is working all of the time and is very, very good and there are others who continue to work, I guess it was more of a one on one basis for the New Class
I hope all of this helps and thank you so much for continuing to support our little show. We would be nowhere without each and everyone of you!
Best Wishes,
Dennis Haskins
Our thanks goes out to Mr. Haskins himself, his kind and supportive brother, and to those fans who helped with this task!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: This interview was done via e-mail. However, please don't ask me for his e-mail address. Thanks.
Dear Mr. Haskins,
The fans at SBTB:Now are so grateful for your kindness and willingness to hold this interview for us. We appreciate it so much! The questions below are a collection of questions asked by the BEST SBTB Fans in the world! We want to thank you for taking the time to answer them for us. You’re the BEST!
Sincerely,
The Fans at SavedbytheBellNow.com
PS Have fun!
1. Where did the signature high-pitch Mr. Belding laugh come from? Do you ever find yourself accidentally doing it now? (~Muffin Sangria)
The laugh was actually mine. When something strikes me really funny, my voice goes into a higher register for some reason. The producers of Good Morning, Miss Bliss heard me laugh like that to one of Hayley Mill's lines and the rest if history. From that point forward it said in the script "Belding laughs". I can do it on cue now.
2. How much influence did you, or the other actors, have on the script writing? Did they ever allow you to change or improvise scenes during a rehearsal? (~Muffin Sangria)
We had a terrific staff of writers. Our deal with them was to let them hear their stuff first, to give it a chance, so to speak, before we tried to change any of it. However, on a rare occasion we managed to get one in. The "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?" was something I did as a joke on our director. He used to say the "hey's" in an ascending manner to get our attention. One day, for fun, I took a line that said "Hey, what is going on here?" and added the extra "hey's" in a descending scale. And the rest is history. That was in mine and don't let anyone tell you any different!
3. Mr. B definitely is the principal we’d all wish to have. He is funny, honest, involved, and most importantly, is always there to guide the students with their choices. How did you first prepare to play the role of a school principal? Did you observe real life principals ever? (~Erika)
Well Erika, of course we are all affected by our grade school and high school principals. But I can honestly say that I just did the best I could with what the writers had given me. Again, the writers and I had a deal. Actually Tom Tenowich, the head writer at the time, and I made the deal. They could have as much fun as they wanted to with how Mr. Belding behaved as long as the students would still respect him tomorrow as the principal
4. How was the production schedule? Like other TV shows, did you tape every season from mid-summer 'til mid-spring? Or because of the teen cast, was the schedule different? (~Fran)
We were on a five day schedule that started on Monday and taped on Friday. The kids, however, came to school early Monday through Wednesday and the rest of us went to work about 11am with them after their school for that morning. Thursday and Friday were a little more complicated because the kids had to have a certain number of hours a week and they didn't always have it by Thursday. This meant that the stage managers would have to take them in and out of class to rehearse and then go back to school. Not a fun schedule.
5. Since you were playing a father figure type role, did you feel like a friend or a father figure to the other actors? (~TatFan)
Early on I was willing to give advice but I soon learned that the rest of the class had good ideas too! I was doing a scene with Mark Paul when the director took a break. For some reason I asked MP what he thought of the scene we were rehearsing. He looked a little surprised at first but then came up with some good ideas. From that point forward I tried to treat the rest of the cast as equals and not older or younger. I think that helped bond the on camera students to Mr. Belding in an interesting way.
6. Between takes, what did you usually do in your spare time? Did the cast ever include you in anything they did? (~Barb1686)
I'm going to play with your words a little Barb. The seven of us were "the cast" And, yes, sometimes we would do things together and other times we wouldn't. Sometimes as a group we would go to Jerry's Deli or Ed Debevic's and hang out. Parents, producers, actors, everybody!
7. When you were done filming the show, did you take anything home with you? Do you still have any of it? (~Barb1686)
Good question. I have the complete desk set up for Mr. Belding's office including my pencils that never moved, That was an inside joke. I also got them to cut out the pay phone area from the entrance to the Max. There was a mountain of chewing gum on the back side of that wall. I wanted it and I got it!
8. Is there a certain day that really sticks out in your memory from your days on Saved by the Bell? (~Barb1686)
I would have to say the day I handed out diplomas to the graduating original class was a little tough emotionally. We know that things were going to change and never be the same again.
9. Did you ever eat Screech's spaghetti sauce? (~elliot5)
Are you serious! Would you? No, I didn't.
10. What is your current project that you are working on? (~brandon0688)
I am currently touring across the country to Colleges and Universities reminiscing with the students there about the show their entire generation grew up with.
I also just did a cameo on The Family Guy as Mr. Belding, a pod cast for Adult Swim while they aired a few late night SBTB's and I have a movie that is supposed to start in June. I'll keep you posted.
11. Are you annoyed about the way Lions Gate handled the DVD's (too many cuts) especially your famous Dance scene (These boots are made for walking)? (~mn)
If they took that out, that's a shame. Sometimes episodes were cut for time after leaving the network because syndication has even less time to air an episode.
12. Besides touring colleges, what do you do in your spare time now? (~elliot5)
I do charity events for a variety of causes from Hal Sutton and David Tom's event in Shreveport, LA for their new children's hospital, to Jim Calhoun's event in Connecticut for battling cancer, to a bigger event in Raleigh NC, The Jimmy V for Cancer research and many many more including one next week in my Home town that Pat Boone has been attending for 27 years benefiting Te Bethel Bible Village Children's Home.
13. SBTB is our favorite show, but what is yours? (~Carrie)
Even though The West Wing is going off, I loved that show. So many fine actors. Also Grey's Anatomy is a terrific show with a stellar cast. and there's something about Deal or No Deal that I can't quit watching~
14. You seem to have a really good repertoire and take interest in teenagers and young adults, both on the show (obviously), but also on your speaking tours. After acting, and basketball, did you ever consider becoming a teacher? (~Muffin Sangria)
I have taught private acting classes primarily in Atlanta and Chattanooga, my home town. However, I'm hoping acting will carry me through as long as I want it!
15. If Saved by the Bell (the original series) was aired today, do you think it would be as successful? Why or why not? (~SbtbNut)
Actually, in a strange way, it is being aired today, only with a younger audience who are watching it like it is brand new. It's amazing!
16. In your opinion, did the role of Mr. Belding change between Good Morning Miss Bliss and Saved by the Bell: The New Class? (~SbtbNut)
I like to think that Mr. Belding evolved from the beginnings of Miss Bliss to somewhat extreme things on The New Class. The original Bell years were right on the nose. I felt like, toward the end, the writers let Screech and Mr. Belding down on several occasions. They had us hugging way too much, massages in the office for goodness sake and other things. All in all though, the writes did a terrific job.
17. Working with kids in the '90s and touring and talking to kids now, are there any differences between the generations? (~QueenKelly)
You know, you would think that there would be a bigger difference but there really isn't. Education and morals still affect who you. The more you have of each the better kids seem to handle themselves. I did notice a huge change in the type of kid we had between the original Bell and the New Class. There was definitely a culture change. That's not a judgment, just an observation.
18. If a reunion happens in the future, what kind of reunion would you like to see? A TV movie? Or would you rather see a retrospective where the cast talks about the show? Why would you choose one over the other? (Friar Raybo)
I would love for everyone to get together but I honestly don't see it happening. There are way too many miles that we have all traveled that have taken us is so many opposite directions. Mark Paul and Lisa just had their second child. Tiffany is married as is Elizabeth, Mario is working on The Bold and The Beautiful. Tiffany just wrote, produced and directed her first film. Elizabeth has been on Broadway twice in the last three years and she, too, is married. And so it goes.
19. If there is one thing that you can go back and change about Saved by the Bell, what would it be? (~Nem)
Honestly, I don't think I would change much. I would change that New Class episode where Screech finds Rachel's diary where she had said bad things about The Chief, Me. So they had Screech and I voting her a 0 for her cheerleading competition. Mr. Belding would never have done that. Screech maybe but not Mr. B.
20. Did you connect as well with The New Class as you did with the original cast? (~QueenKelly)
On an entire cast level, probably not as much as the original. After all, there can only be one first. However, I just ran into Lindsey McKeon and was thrilled. Sarah Lancaster is working all of the time and is very, very good and there are others who continue to work, I guess it was more of a one on one basis for the New Class
I hope all of this helps and thank you so much for continuing to support our little show. We would be nowhere without each and everyone of you!
Best Wishes,
Dennis Haskins
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