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| Birth Name(s) : Dustin Diamond |
Date of Birth: N/A |
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Single
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Full Dustin Diamond Biography
Dustin "Zoinks" Diamond (born Dustin Neil Diamond on January 7, 1977 in San Jose, California) is an actor, musician and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers on the television show Saved by the Bell.
Diamond's most memorable role was that of the nerdish 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 (1995-2000).
Screech was originally supposed to have an extremely low pitched, almost bellowing voice, but instead it was decided that the character would possess a high adenoid, although not over-the-top tone instead.
Screech claimed to be descended from the "Great Italian lover and spy", Luigi Powerelli, making it clear that he is part Italian. In the final episode of the regular series, he magnanimously relinquishes the title of valedictorian to another character.
After the end of that series, he quickly returned to Bayside High as principal Belding's assistant in The New Class episodes, remaining with the show until its cancellation.
Diamond appeared on the June 7, 2002 edition of The Opie and Anthony Show, with co-guest Lil Jimmy Norton.
In the May 2006 issue of Stuff magazine, readers voted Diamond the third most annoying former child actor that they would like to punch in the face. He was "beaten" by former child stars Danny Bonaduce and Corey Feldman.
Diamond has had trouble as a result of failing to show for a scheduled performance. Diamond was scheduled to appear at the University of Connecticut to give a stand-up comedy performance followed by a meet and greet on Thursday, February 8, 2007, but did not appear. According to Diamond's agent, Roger Paul of Roger Paul Management LLP, he failed to board his plane. All of the tickets purchased by students have been refunded and Diamond, having breached his contract, did not receive any payment.
His girlfriend Jennifer suffered a miscarriage of their first child in December 2004 due to an ectopic pregnancy. They later created the Dustin Diamond Foundation, which is not an actual foundation but does help connect him with donors.
In 2003, Diamond attempted to take control of the domain dustindiamond.com, which was owned by Max Goldberg, the creator of YTMND. Diamond was apparently upset because some visitors were posting gay fantasies about him in the guestbook on dustindiamond.com. Diamond's lawyer, Herro & Lamont, LLC, served Goldberg with a cease and desist order that was unsuccessful.
Diamond ultimately lost the suit. The decision read, in part, "The Panel accepts Respondent’s argument that the “outrageous ugly and low-tech graphics and numerous errors and misspellings” as well as the sheer absurdity of the site’s claim that Dustin Diamond is a “FAMOUS SUPERSTAR AND SEX SYMBOL” clearly signal that the site is not meant to be taken seriously. Goldberg offered, in court, to produce various letters of support, confirming public understanding of the website's humour, including letters from a Professor of Cinema Studies who coauthored two well-known books of religious parody among other publications, and a letter from an art correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and the Oxford American. These writers called the website "an electronic art installation of great wit and outstanding merit," a "parody," and an "obvious and clearly affectionate joke." Whether the site is regarded as parody, satire, or critical commentary, and notwithstanding Respondent’s assertion that “awyers are notoriously bad at understanding how humor works,” this Panel finds that legitimate noncommercial fair use commentary is involved." Goldberg, then 21, represented himself through the suit.
On June 13, 2006, Diamond appeared on The Howard Stern Show. Diamond said he was given 30 days to come up with $250,000 USD or risk losing his Port Washington, Wisconsin, home for failing to make payments on his land lease. Diamond said he blamed Arthur Giraldo, a mortgage broker for New York Capital Exchange, who Diamond claims "screws over the working man then laughs at their expense". Diamond decided to sell t-shirts for $15 that had "I gave 15 dollars to help Screeech save his house" emblazoned on the front. He said that he would need to sell 30,000 t-shirts to completely cover the costs. He explained the extra 'e' in Screeech was needed because of copyright laws, since he does not own the rights to the name or character.
On August 14, 2006, Diamond was scheduled for an online television telethon, in an effort to raise funds to prevent the foreclosure on his house. His broadcast was canceled less than 90 minutes before it was to be aired live, as an executive at the startup online television network claimed that the foreclosure story lacked credibility, and that Diamond had "exhibited some really strange and obnoxious behavior."
On September 2, 2006, Mike Nichols, the Ozaukee County columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said in an article that Diamond was a fraud and the whole story about Diamond losing his house was a publicity stunt. On October 7, a follow-up article stated in interviews with several people that they had not received t-shirts after months of waiting, corroborating the alleged fraudulence. |
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