Actor, musician and stand-up comedian Dustin Neil Diamond was born on January 7, 1977 in San Jose California. He studied at Daniel Chapel AME Zion Elementary located in Anaheim. He was just a fifth grader when he started acting as Troy Kokes on the sitcom Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Outside the entertainment industry, Dustin's first job in a department store required him to act as a live mannequin. He was also bass player for the band called Salty the Pocketknife.
Good Morning, Miss Bliss eventually evolved into
Saved by the Bell , a show that won the Best Off-Primetime Family Series award at the 1990 Young Artist Awards.
Dustin Diamond played Samuel “Screech” Powers on the NBC series.
He also appeared as Tommy on Getting By, as Greeter on
Star Trek : The Next Generation, as Joey Harris on
The Wonder Years and as Rob on The Munsters Today.
Among Dustin Diamonds' film credits are Big Fat Liar, The Price of Life, She's Out of Control, 13th Grade and Hamlet A.D.D. He was also cast as Simone for the highly acclaimed B-Movie Jane White is Sick & Twisted.
In 2002, this karate black belter defeated Welcome Back, Kotter actor Ron Palillo on the second episode of FOX's Celebrity Boxing. He also participated on Weakest Link and Star Dates.
In 2004, he did a TV commercial for Trivial Pursuit 90's Edition.
Dustin Diamond is one of the alumni on VH1's reality TV series
Celebrity Fit Club : Boot Camp. The show divides the 8 contestants into two groups and the teams are given several physical challenges every week. Each members are also weighed regularly to see if they achieved their target goal weights. A team composed of a nutritionist, a psychologist and a physical trainer oversees the participants. Diamond was cast member on the fifth season and was part of the winning team called The Athletes. He lost 30 pounds by the end of the season five.
(Photo courtesy of VH1)