Mark Paul Gosselaar
I just saw Mark Paul Gosselaar on The Talk. I don’t know that I’d ever seen him in an interview before. He’s a really cool and funny guy.
I loved watching Saved by the Bell on Saturday mornings when it was on. I was an adult when the show started, but I didn’t care. Mark Paul Gosselaar played lead character Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell. My favorite character was AC Slater, portrayed by Mario Lopez. Mark Paul Gosselaar was more popular in the teen magazines such as Tiger Beat and Teen Beat. That always made me wonder. I guess it was because he was the lead star of the show and had a really big cell phone. But have you seen Slater?
Mark Paul Gosselaar was born in Panorama City, California on March 1, 1974. His dad is Dutch and his mom is Indonesian. That makes for an interesting mix. Gosselaar got interested in acting when he was a young kid. He appeared in the shows Punky Brewster, Charles in Charge, and The Wonder Years before landing his role on Saved by the Bell. FYI, the first year of Saved by the Bell was actually called Good Morning, Miss Bliss.
Jimmy Fallon
I saw Gosselaar back in 2009 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon where he appeared as Zack Morris. He was great! “Zack” agreed on that show that he would participate in a Saved by the Bell reunion which was being led by Jimmy Fallon. I believe all former members of the show, with the exception of loser Dustin Diamond, were planning a reunion. They did do a mini reunion on Jimmy Fallon in 2015, but I want to see a real Saved by the Bell show. Dustin Diamond was not there because he’s not a nice guy and wasn’t invited, and Lark Voorhies was not there either (her people said she was busy).
Mark Paul Gosselaar Trivia
- Has competed in a celebrity car race.
- Speaks fluent Dutch.
- Still keeps in touch with Mario Lopez.
- Had no idea about the success of Saved by the Bell at the time as he wasn’t privy to the ratings.
- Went to a normal public high school when he wasn’t working.
- Dyed his hair blonde for Saved by the Bell.
- Is a pilot. Cool.
- Has a son and a daughter from his first marriage and a son and daughter from his second marriage.
- Was in a relationship with Lark Voorhies (Lisa Turtle) for three years during the Saved by the Bell years.
- “Running Zack” was his favorite episode of Saved by the Bell.
- Was married to Lisa Ann Russell from 1996 to 2011. That’s a long time in Hollywood.
- He has been married to Catriona McGinn since 2012.
- Was hired to do NYPD Blue when Ricky Schroder (another child star) left the show.
I’m a Fan
Gosselaar really impressed me when he appeared on The Talk last week and I now have a whole new level of respect for him. I haven’t seen him in anything since Saved by the Bell, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been busy. (I just haven’t watched his newer shows.) He’s currently filming and starring in the TV show The Passage.
Mark Paul Gosselaar recently took part in the ten-year challenge going around where you place two photos side by side which are ten years apart. Instead of ten years though, he posted pictures 30 years apart. And instead of photos of just him, he posted it of him and Mario Lopez together. It was very sweet.
Although Mario Lopez was my favorite 30 years ago, I think Mark Paul Gosselaar may be my favorite now in 2019.