Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (/ˈɡɒslər/;[1] born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Zack Morris in Saved by the Bell, Detective John Clark Jr. in NYPD Blue, and Peter Bash in Franklin & Bash. He was the lead in the 1998 film Dead Man on Campus, and starred in the 2016 TV series Pitch. He was the lead actor in the 2019 TV series The Passage. Gosselaar currently plays Paul Johnson (Rainbow's father) in the ABC sitcom series Mixed-ish, the prequel series of Black-ish.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Gosselaar in 2008
Born	Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (1974-03-01) March 1, 1974 Panorama City, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Hart High School
Occupation	Actor, Model
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Lisa Ann Russell ​ ( m. 1996; div. 2011) Catriona McGinn ​ ( m. after 2012)
Children	4

Early life

Gosselaar was born in Panorama City, Los Angeles, the son of Paula (van den Brink), a homemaker and hostess for KLM, and Hans Gosselaar, a plant supervisor for Anheuser-Busch.[2][3] His Dutch-born father is of German and Dutch Jewish descent.[4] Gosselaar's Jewish paternal great-grandparents, Hertog and Hester Gosselaar, were murdered at the Sobibor extermination camp during the Holocaust.[5][6] His mother, who is of Indonesian and Dutch descent, is from Bali, the former Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia.[7][8][9] Gosselaar speaks Dutch.[3][10] Gosselaar's parents later separated.[2]

Gosselaar's mother was his manager.[9] He began modeling at the age of five,[2] and as a child also appeared in commercials for Oreo cookies and Smurf merchandise, later winning guest spots on television series.[11] He spent his teenage years in the Santa Clarita Valley in Southern California, where he attended Hart High School.

Career

Gosselaar first came to public notice as the star of the hit television comedy series Saved by the Bell, in which he played Zack Morris, and which aired on NBC from 1989 to 1993. His character was adapted from the short-lived Disney Channel sitcom Good Morning, Miss Bliss; although that show was cancelled after one season, NBC executives believed that a similar show, with Zack Morris as the series lead, had potential for success. He reprised the role in two TV movies and a less-successful spin-off, Saved by the Bell: The College Years. In 1994, he appeared as Zack Morris in a second spin-off series Saved by the Bell: The New Class in the episode "Goodbye, Bayside – Part 2", along with Mario López as A.C. Slater and Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle.

In 1996, he appeared in the TV-film She Cried No as a college student who date-rapes his best friend's sister at a fraternity party. In 1998, he starred in the feature film, Dead Man on Campus. Later that same year, Gosselaar played the central character in the TV drama Hyperion Bay, which lasted 17 episodes. In 2001, he starred in the movie The Princess and the Marine, with Marisol Nichols. He also starred in the short-lived WB series D.C. From 2001–05, he played Detective John Clark on ABC's NYPD Blue. After the series ended, he joined the cast of ABC's Commander in Chief, which lasted only one season. He appeared on the HBO series John from Cincinnati. He then gained the starring role of defense attorney Jerry Kellerman in the Steven Bochco-produced Raising the Bar, which debuted on September 1, 2008, on TNT, then it was canceled in November 2009 after two seasons.[12]

On June 8, 2009, Gosselaar appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in character as Zack Morris to promote his show Raising the Bar, indicating that the name Mark-Paul Gosselaar is his stage name and declaring, as Zack, that he would participate in a Saved by the Bell "Class" reunion that is being spearheaded by Fallon. He has since agreed to participate in the reunion being organized by Jimmy Fallon on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon along with four fellow castmembers to date.[13] On February 4, 2015, Gosselaar reunited with Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, Dennis Haskins and Tiffani Thiessen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where they appeared in a Saved by the Bell sketch with Fallon.[14][15][16]

In October 2009, he made his off-Broadway stage debut in Theresa Rebeck's play The Understudy with The Roundabout Theatre Company. The show extended its limited New York run until January 17, 2010.[17]

Gosselaar began filming the TNT series Franklin & Bash on March 28, 2010. The series premiered on June 1, 2011. On November 11, 2014, it was announced that the series was canceled, after four seasons.[18] The FOX series Pitch cast Gosselaar in the main role of Mike Lawson, star catcher and team captain, in February 2016, and premiered on September 22, 2016. On May 1, 2017, it was announced that the series was canceled, after one season.[19] He appeared in 1 episode of Dinner at Tiffani's.

In 2019, Gosselaar began playing the lead role of Paul Jackson (Rainbow's father) in ABC comedy series Mixed-ish (spin-off and prequel series of Black-ish). He took over the role from Anders Holm, who played the character in the pilot episode.[20]

Personal life

In a July 2009 interview with People, Gosselaar revealed that when Saved By the Bell was in production, he dated, at different times, his three female co-stars: Lark Voorhies, Tiffani Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley.[21] He remains friends with his Saved by the Bell cast mates.[7]

In 1996, Gosselaar married former model Lisa Ann Russell.[2] Together they have two children: son Michael Charles (born 2004) and daughter Ava Lorenn (born 2006).[22] After 14 years of marriage, Gosselaar and Russell announced their separation in early June 2010.[23] Gosselaar filed for divorce June 18, 2010,[24] and it became final in May 2011.[25]

Gosselaar was engaged to advertising executive Catriona McGinn in August 2011.[25] They married July 28, 2012, at the Sunstone winery in Santa Ynez, California.[26] They have a son Dekker (born 2013),[27] and a daughter Lachlyn (born 2015).[28]

Gosselaar is a sports car enthusiast, race car driver, track cyclist, dirt biker and pilot. In 2005, he competed in the Far West Championships for track cycling. He won the Category 4/5 Sprint Championship event at the Encino Velodrome.[29] He is also a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt under Rigan Machado.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
1993	White Wolves: A Cry in the Wild II	Scott James
1994	The St. Tammany Miracle	Carl
1995	Twisted Love	D.J.
1996	Specimen	Mike Hillary
	Sticks & Stones	Dale
	Kounterfeit	Paco / Danny
1998	Dead Man on Campus	Cooper Frederickson
2011	Hide	Alex Wilson
2015	Heist	Marconi
2016	Precious Cargo	Jack

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Highway to Heaven	Rolf Baldt	Episode: "The Torch"
	Stingray	Eric Murray	Episode: "Below the Line"
	The Twilight Zone	Tim Conrad	Episode: "What Are Friends For?"
1988	Necessary Parties	Chris Mills	Movie
	The Wonder Years	Brad Gaines	Episode: "Dance with Me"
	Punky Brewster	Walker Wimbley	Episode: "One Plus Tutor Is Three"
	Charles in Charge	Philip	Episode: "Runaround Charles"
1988–89	Good Morning, Miss Bliss	Zack Morris	Lead role (13 episodes)
1989–93	Saved by the Bell	Zack Morris	Lead role (86 episodes)
1990	Murphy Brown	Wes	Episode: "I Want My FYI"
1992	Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style	Zack Morris	Movie
	Blossom	Kevin	Episode: "Losing Your... Religion"
1993–94	Saved by the Bell: The College Years	Zack Morris	Lead role (19 episodes)
1994	For the Love of Nancy	Tommy Walsh	Movie
	Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas	Zack Morris	Movie
	Saved by the Bell: The New Class	Zack Morris	Episode: "Goodbye Bayside"
1996	Brothers of the Frontier	Hiram Holcomb	Movie
	She Cried No	Scott Baker	Movie; also known as Freshman Fall
1997	Dying to Belong	Steven Tyler	Movie
	Born Into Exile	Chris	Movie
1998–99	Hyperion Bay	Dennis Sweeny	Main role (17 episodes)
2000	D.C.	Pete Komisky	Main role (7 episodes)
2001	The Princess and the Marine	Jason Johnson	Movie
	Beer Money	Tim Maroon	Movie
	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Wesley Jansen / Peter Ivanhoe	Episode: "Sacrifice"
2001–2005	NYPD Blue	Det. John Clark Jr.	Main role (87 episodes)
2002	Alikes	Chris	Movie
	Atomic Twister	Deputy Jake Hannah	Movie
	Hitched	Michael	Unsold pilot
2005	Over There	John Moffet	2 episodes
2005–06	Commander in Chief	Richard 'Dickie' McDonald	Recurring role (10 episodes)
2006	The House Next Door	Kim	Movie
2007	Law Dogs	Evan Marlowe	Unsold pilot
	John from Cincinnati	Jake Ferris	3 episodes
2008	Robot Chicken	Zack Morris / Employee (voice)	Episode: "Boo Cocky"
2008–09	Raising the Bar	Jerry Kellerman	Main role (25 episodes)
2010	Rizzoli & Isles	Garrett Fairfield	Episode: "Money For Nothing"
	Weeds	Jack	Episode: "Gentle Puppies"
2011–14	Franklin & Bash	Peter Bash	Lead role (40 episodes)
2011	12 Dates of Christmas	Miles	Movie
2012	Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23	Himself	Episode: "A Reunion"
2013	Men at Work	Tim	Episode: "Weekend at PJ's" (uncredited)[30]
	Happy Endings	Chase	Episodes: "The Ex Factor", "Un-sabotagable"
2014	Flipping Out	Himself	Episode: "Due Date"
2014–15	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Jared Briscoe / Paul Winthrop	Recurring roles (4 episodes)
2015	Truth Be Told	Mitch	Main role (10 episodes)
2016	Pitch	Mike Lawson	Main role (13 episodes)
	Dinner at Tiffani's	Himself	Episode: "Christmas at Tiffani's"
	Celebrity Name Game	Himself
2018	Nobodies	Mark-Paul Gosselaar	Recurring role (12 episodes)
2019	The Passage	Brad Wolgast	Main role (10 episodes)
2019–present	Mixed-ish	Paul Johnson	Main role (22 episodes)
2020	Saved by the Bell	Zack Morris	Recurring role

Awards and nominations

Young Artist Award

• 1989: Nominated, Best Young Actor in a Cable Family Series – Good Morning, Miss Bliss
• 1990: Nominated, Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast – Saved by the Bell
• 1991: Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Primetime Series – Saved by the Bell
• 1992: Nominated, Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Primetime Series – Saved by the Bell
• 1993: Nominated, Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Primetime Series – Saved by the Bell

References

1. "NLS Other Writings: Say How". Library of Congress. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
2. Scott-Gregory, Sophronia; Rizzo, Monica (October 12, 1998). "To Bell and Back". People. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
3. Lee, Luaine (June 3, 2011). "Gosselaar, now all grown up, back on TV". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
4. Parenteel van Nathan Godslaars (Gosselaar family genealogy); Gosselaar's paternal grandfather, Aron (Arie) Gosselaar, was a Dutch Jew, and Gosselaar's paternal grandmother, Ida Ferdinanda "Itty" Kosel, was German.
5. "Hertog Gosselaar". Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
6. "Hester Gosselaar". Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
7. Gosselaar, Mark-Paul (October 15, 2008). "Catching up with...Mark-Paul Gosselaar". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
8. Rohit, Parimal M. (March 3, 2011). "Mark-Paul Gosselaar Discusses Franklin and Bash". Santa Monica Mirror. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
9. "Mark-Paul Gosselaar...From Outrageous Con Man To Reluctant Icon!". Mark-Paul Gosselaar.net. 2005. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
10. "Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
11. Kaufman, Joanne; Tomashoff, Craig (April 16, 1990). "Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Teen Star of NBC's Saved by the Bell Learns That Fame Takes a Toll". People. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
12. Godwin, Jennifer (November 30, 2009). "TNT Cancels Mark-Paul Gosselaar's Raising the Bar". E! News.
13. Finn, Natalie (June 8, 2009). "Zack Attacks Late Night With Jimmy Fallon". E! News. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
14. McSpadden, Kevin. "Watch a Glorious Saved by the Bell Reunion Courtesy of Jimmy Fallon". Time. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
15. Schlossberg, Mallory (February 5, 2015). "Jimmy Fallon assembled the cast of 'Saved by The Bell' for an epic reunion". Business Insider. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
16. Day, Patrick Kevin (February 5, 2015). "Jimmy Fallon reunites most of the 'Saved by the Bell' cast". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
17. "The Understudy, Starring White, Kirk and Gosselaar, Extends". Broadway Buzz. November 12, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
18. Andreeva, Nellie (November 11, 2014). "Franklin & Bash' Cancelled By TNT After Four Season". Deadline Hollywood.
19. McLennan, Cindy (May 2, 2017). "Pitch Cancelled By Fox After One Season (No Season Two)". TVSeriesFinale. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
20. Otterson, Joe (June 19, 2019). "'Mixed-ish' at ABC Adds Mark-Paul Gosselaar in Recasting". Variety.
21. Ingrassia, Lisa (August 9, 2009). "Saved by the Bell". People. 76 (6). Retrieved August 11, 2014.
22. "Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Wife Have a Girl". People. May 7, 2006. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
23. Shira, Dahvi (June 3, 2010). "Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Wife Split". People. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
24. Oh, Eunice (June 25, 2010). "Mark-Paul Gosselaar Files for Divorce". People. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
25. Leonard, Elizabeth; Rizzo, Monica (August 10, 2011). "Mark-Paul Gosselaar Is Engaged". People. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
26. Messer, Lesley (July 28, 2012). "Mark-Paul Gosselaar Is Married!". People. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
27. Leon, Anya (September 30, 2013). "Mark-Paul Gosselaar Welcomes Son". People. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
28. Leon, Anya; Aili Nahas (February 18, 2015). "Mark-Paul Gosselaar Welcomes Daughter Lachlyn Hope". People. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
29. "Encino Velodrome: 2005 Far West Championships". September 4, 2005. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
30. "'Franklin & Bash' Reunion: Mark-Paul Gosselaar Joins Breckin Meyer's 'Men at Work' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 14, 2018.

External links

• Mark-Paul Gosselaar on IMDb
• Mark-Paul Gosselaar on Twitter
• Mark-Paul Gosselaar Speaks at Emory's Class Day