Dustin Diamond
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Dustin Neil Diamond, born January 7, 1977, was an American actor and stand-up comedian, forever etched in our memories as Samuel "Screech" Powers across the beloved *Saved by the Bell* franchise.
Born in San Jose, California, to Jaimee and Mark Diamond, Dustin's early life was rooted in a family of tech professionals. His father, a digital electronics instructor, and his mother, a computer operator, provided a stable foundation. A proud Jewish heritage, Dustin attended Zion Lutheran School.
Diamond's journey into acting began in childhood. He quickly became synonymous with the lovable, quirky Screech Powers, a role he embodied for nearly thirteen years. From the show's humble beginnings as *Good Morning, Miss Bliss* in 1988, through the iconic *Saved by the Bell*, and even into its college years and final incarnation, *Saved by the Bell: The New Class*, Screech was a constant. Even as the gang transitioned to college life in *Saved by the Bell: The College Years*, Screech’s misadventures continued. He later returned to Bayside High as Principal Belding's assistant in *The New Class*, remaining a fixture until the show’s conclusion.
After *Saved by the Bell*, Diamond ventured into stand-up comedy, touring intermittently. He also graced numerous game and reality shows, including *The Weakest Link* and *Celebrity Boxing 2*, and made memorable cameo appearances in films like *Made* and *Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star*. In 2007, he joined the cast of *Celebrity Fit Club*, a season marked by memorable clashes with fellow cast members like Kimberley Locke and rapper Da Brat, and a particularly heated exchange with host Ant and trainer Harvey Walden IV. Diamond continued to appear in films, taking on roles in *American Pie Presents: The Book of Love*, *Tetherball: The Movie*, and the partially animated *Hamlet A.D.D.*.
In 2006, Diamond directed and released *Screeched – Saved by the Smell*, a celebrity sex tape. He later claimed in an interview that a stunt double's likeness was superimposed onto the footage.
His 2009 memoir, *Behind the Bell*, offered behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the *Saved by the Bell* set. While some accounts painted a less-than-flattering picture of his colleagues, Diamond later attributed much of the book's content to a ghostwriter, suggesting that sensationalized claims of teen sex and drug use were fabricated from minor statements.
Beyond acting, Diamond was a musician, playing bass and writing music for the alternative metal band Salty The Pocketknife. He also served as a commentator on truTV's *The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest...* and hosted the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos. In 2013, he participated in the UK's *Celebrity Big Brother*, becoming the fourth housemate to be evicted. He also became a spokesperson for Insurance King, appearing in commercials that playfully referenced his iconic role.
Diamond was a passionate fan of professional wrestling, making appearances in Memphis Championship Wrestling and NWA-TNA. He even participated in *Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling* and served as a special guest referee. He competed in several tag-team matches in the wrestling circuit before his final match in 2012.
In his personal life, Diamond filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and later moved to Wisconsin. He attempted to save his home from foreclosure by selling T-shirts, a campaign he promoted on *The Howard Stern Show*. He later relocated to Florida. While his death certificate listed him as never married, reports indicated a marriage to Jennifer Misner, from whom he later separated. In 2014, he was arrested for possession of a switchblade knife following a bar altercation. He was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct, serving three months of a four-month jail sentence. He was arrested again in 2016 for violating probation.
In early January 2021, Dustin Diamond was diagnosed with extensive stage four small cell carcinoma of the lungs. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, he passed away from the disease on February 1, 2021, at the age of 44.
In a touching tribute after his passing, Dan Block, founder of Insurance King and a close friend, partnered with NASCAR driver Josh Bilicki to feature a tribute car for Diamond in the 2021 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.
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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.
== Early life ==
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.
== Career ==
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.
=== Appearances after Saved by the Bell ===
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. Diamond also made several cameo appearances in films, including appearances in Made (2001) and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003).
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).
=== Sex tape ===
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.
=== Behind the Bell ===
In 2009, Diamond published a memoir in which he recounted behind-the-scenes anecdotes of the production of Saved by the Bell from his point of view, titled Behind the Bell. The book paints an unflattering portrait of many of Diamond's colleagues and backstage behavior. Some of these claims were repudiated by Diamond's colleagues and questioned by critics. 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.
=== Other work ===
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.
He appeared as a host at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos.
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 of its commercials that 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.
== Professional wrestling career ==
Diamond was a fan of professional wrestling. 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.
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. Screech won by knockout in 42 seconds.
In 2008, Diamond was a contestant on Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling, broadcast on CMT.
Diamond was a special guest referee for a match at Celebrity Big Bang Wrestling, Mistress Devon James vs Susan Finkelstein on July 22, 2010.
On February 11, 2011, Diamond teamed with Jordan McEntyre and Knight Wagner, losing to MsChif, Marion Fontaine and Krotch in an intergender match at AAW in Merrionette Park, Illinois. On March 17, 2011, he teamed with Bushwhacker Luke, Izzy Slapawitz and Doink the Clown to beat Virgil, Ashley Sixx, Celine Jean and Sheena at TWE Rethinking Rumble in Vaughan, Ontario. He lost his final match in a tag during the main event of FTW Summer of Synn, in Ronkonkoma, New York, on July 7, 2012.
== Personal life ==
In 2001, Diamond filed for bankruptcy in California. He moved to Port Washington, Wisconsin, in 2003. On June 13, 2006, he asked listeners of The Howard Stern Show to visit his website and purchase a T-shirt, reading "I paid $15.00 to save Screeech's house" (spelling "Screech" with an extra E for copyright reasons). He said he hoped to sell 30,000 shirts in order to raise $250,000 and avoid foreclosure on his house. Diamond moved to Florida in 2018, and put his house in Port Washington up for sale the following year.
He reportedly married longtime girlfriend Jennifer Misner in 2009, separated in 2013 and later divorced, although his death certificate lists him as having never married. They did not have any children.
On December 26, 2014, Diamond was arrested in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, for possession of a switchblade knife, which he was alleged to have pulled during a bar altercation in which a man was stabbed. Amanda Schutz, his fiancée, was found guilty of disorderly conduct and fined $500. On May 29, 2015, he was convicted of two misdemeanors: carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct. He was cleared of the most serious charge, recklessly endangering public safety. On June 25, he was sentenced to four months in jail. He served three months and was released on probation. His probation agent later determined that he had violated his terms and he was arrested again in May 2016.
== Illness and death ==
In early January 2021, Diamond was diagnosed with extensive stage four small cell carcinoma of the lungs. Despite completing one round of chemotherapy in Cape Coral, Florida, he died from the disease on February 1, 2021, at age 44.
=== NASCAR tribute ===
After Diamond's death, Dan Block, the founder of Insurance King and close friend of Diamond, partnered with Josh Bilicki, driver of the #52 Rick Ware Racing Ford, to run a tribute car for Diamond in the 2021 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
=== Television ===
=== Music Videos ===
== Awards and nominations ==
== References ==
== External links ==
Dustin Diamond at IMDb
Dustin Diamond discography at Discogs
Planta, Joseph (May 25, 2005). "Dustin Diamond". Interview. The Commentary.
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