Dustin Diamond's 'Saved By the Bell' Castmates Pay Tribute to Late Actor

The stars of Saved By the Bell paid tribute to their costar Dustin Diamond on Monday, following news of his death.

Diamond, who played Screech on the NBC sitcom, died on Monday, just weeks after he had been diagnosed with a form of lung cancer. He was 44 years old.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who starred on Saved By the Bell as the series lead Zack Morris, shared a message on Twitter referring to Diamond as a "comedic genius."

"Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius. 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," Gosselaar wrote.

Tiffani Thiessen, who played cheerleader and volleyball captain Kelly Kapowski, shared a photo of Diamond on her Instagram. "I am deeply saddened by the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing. Life is extremely fragile and it's something we should never take for granted. God speed Dusti," she wrote.

Mario Lopez, who starred on the show as Bayside High's No. 1 wrestler and athlete A.C. Slater, shared a photo on Instagram of him and Diamond together. "Dustin, you will be missed my man. The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on..." Lopez wrote.

Just a few weeks before Diamond's death, Lopez showed his support for his old colleague and said that he had spoken with Diamond following word of the cancer diagnosis. "I connected with Dustin earlier this evening and although the news of his diagnosis is heartbreaking, we remain positive that he'll overcome this. Praying for him & his family and for a speedy recovery," Lopez wrote at the time.

Lark Voorhies, who starred as Screech's crush Lisa Turtle, had not yet commented on Diamond's death as of the time of this article's posting. However, the actor did share her support when she learned of his cancer diagnosis in January, sharing a throwback photo of them from the 1994 Kids Choice Awards in Los Angeles.

"I'd like to take the time to send special love and special best wishes to Dustin Diamond, who is one of my dearest friends. Dustin, all the many in your close circle who know you to be the great person that you are, are truly pulling for you and praying for the best outcome," she wrote at the time.

Diamond's reps confirmed his death in a statement on Monday, writing that the actor died after he was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell carcinoma.

"We are saddened to confirm of Dustin Diamond's passing on Monday, February 1st, 2021 due to carcinoma. He was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago," the statement reads. "In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution. Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful."