Dustin Diamond has died at age 44 after a battle with lung cancer, and the Screech actor's Saved by the Bell co-stars have paid tribute to their friend.
"Dustin, you will be missed my man," wrote Mario Lopez, who starred opposite Diamond as Albert Clifford "A.C." Slater. "The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on."
Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who played Zack Morris in Saved by the Bell and numerous other sitcoms, praised Diamond's comedic talents in a touching tweet. "Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius," he wrote. "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."
Kelly Kapowski actress Tiffani Thiessen posted well wishes upon hearing of Diamond's cancer diagnosis, and she shared a tribute to him on Monday following his death. "I am deeply saddened by the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing," she wrote. "Life is extremely fragile and it's something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin."
The character of Screech had a brief romance with a guest character played by Tori Spelling during the show's original run, and she paid her respects to Diamond on Instagram. "My 1st onscreen love Dustin Diamond got his Angel wings today," she said. "He was kind, smart, and always making everyone laugh. He was a great scene partner. He was a really good guy. I’m sad after the show we never had much contact aside from occasionally running into each other at events. I’m glad he’s out of pain. He’s an icon to me professionally and personally."
See the tributes from Dustin Diamond's co-stars below.
