Condolences and fond memories flooded social media Monday morning following the death of Dustin Diamond, the actor best known for his role as lovable nerd Samuel “Screech” Powers in ‘90s sitcom “Saved by the Bell.”
Fans and fellow actors — including former costars Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen and Mark-Paul Gosselaar — were among the first to react to Diamond’s death, which came a few weeks after he completed his first round of chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with small-cell carcinoma. Diamond was 44.
“The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted,” Lopez wrote on Twitter, before offering prayers for Diamond’s family.
Thiessen echoed those thoughts, tweeting, “Life is extremely fragile and it’s something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin.”
Gosselaar shared a favorite memory of working with Diamond on “Saved by the Bell.”
“Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce,” he wrote. “A pie in your face, my comrade.”
