Noel Vasquez/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Dustin Diamond, best-known for playing lovable nerd Samuel “Screech” Powers on the 1990s TV series Saved by the Bell, has received a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, his rep tells Entertainment Weekly.
The 44-year-old actor, who was hospitalized in Florida over the weekend, will remain there “for awhile” as he undergoes tests and will release a statement after a formal diagnosis has been made, according to the rep.
“He’s undergoing chemo so he will be there at least another week and then we will figure out when he gets to come home,” the rep continues. “By next week, we’ll have a much better understanding of the severity of his condition and what treatments he will need so that he’s comfortable.”
Diamond is feeling “fine” today though he was not doing so great when he was admitted to the hospital, adds the rep. “He was fading in and out, feeling sleepy and tired. On top of all this he also has shingles, so he’s been in a lot of pain.”
Another rep for the actor tells EW that Diamond’s medical problems began with “a huge lump on his throat.”
Diamond played Screech for close to 13 years, from the flagship Saved by the Bell series, through its final incarnation, Saved by the Bell: The New Class.
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