Mark-Paul Gosselaar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Gosselaar at GalaxyCon Richmond in 2023
Born	Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (1974-03-01) March 1, 1974 (age 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	William S. Hart High School
Occupation	Actor, model
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Lisa Ann Russell ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2011)​ Catriona McGinn ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	4

Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is widely recognized for his role as Zack Morris in the popular NBC TV series Saved by the Bell. He also appeared in its follow-up shows, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and the 2020 Peacock series of the same name. For his work as Zack Morris, he received several Young Artist Awards and a YoungStar Award.

Gosselaar has also starred in other TV shows. These include playing Paul Johnson in the ABC comedy Mixed-ish. He was also Detective John Clark Jr. in NYPD Blue and Peter Bash in the TNT legal series Franklin & Bash. He played the main character in the 1998 movie Dead Man on Campus. More recently, he appeared in the Fox TV series Pitch (2016) and The Passage (2019). From 2023 to 2025, he played a main role in the NBC drama Found.

Early Life and Beginnings

Mark-Paul Gosselaar was born in Panorama City, Los Angeles. His mother, Paula, was a homemaker and worked for KLM airlines. His father, Hans Gosselaar, was a plant supervisor. Mark-Paul is the youngest of four children. He was the only one in his family not born in the Netherlands.

His father is of German and Dutch Jewish background. His mother, who was born in Bali, Indonesia, was a flight attendant. Mark-Paul has mentioned that he is "half-Asian." He also speaks Dutch, which he learned at home. His parents later separated.

Mark-Paul's mother helped manage his early career. He started modeling when he was five years old. As a child, he appeared in commercials for cereals and toys. He also had guest roles on different TV shows. He grew up in the Santa Clarita Valley in Southern California. He attended Hart High School.

Gosselaar has shared that his natural hair color is brown. However, he was "blondish" as a child. His hair was dyed blond for his role on Saved by the Bell.

Acting Career Highlights

Mark-Paul Gosselaar became well-known as the star of the TV comedy series Saved by the Bell. This show aired on NBC from 1989 to 1993. His character, Zack Morris, first appeared in a Disney Channel show called Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Even though that show ended quickly, NBC decided to create a new show with Zack Morris as the main character.

He played Zack Morris again in two TV movies. He also appeared in a spin-off series called Saved by the Bell: The College Years. In 1994, he made a guest appearance as Zack Morris in another spin-off, Saved by the Bell: The New Class. He was in the episode "Goodbye, Bayside – Part 2" with Mario Lopez and Lark Voorhies.

In 1998, he starred in the movie Dead Man on Campus. Later that year, Gosselaar played the main character in the TV drama Hyperion Bay. In 2001, he starred in the movie The Princess and the Marine. He also appeared in the short-lived WB series D.C.. From 2001 to 2005, he played Detective John Clark on ABC's NYPD Blue. During this time, he also starred in Atomic Twister. In this movie, he played a deputy who helps after tornadoes hit a nuclear power plant.

Gosselaar in 2008 at the Malibu Triathlon

After NYPD Blue ended, he joined the cast of ABC's Commander in Chief. He also appeared on the HBO series John from Cincinnati. He then took on the main role of defense attorney Jerry Kellerman in Raising the Bar. This show premiered in 2008 on TNT.

On June 8, 2009, Gosselaar appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as his character Zack Morris. He joked that Mark-Paul Gosselaar was just his stage name. He also said he would join a Saved by the Bell reunion. On February 4, 2015, Gosselaar reunited with Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, Dennis Haskins, and Tiffani Thiessen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. They all appeared in a fun Saved by the Bell sketch.

In October 2009, he performed in his first off-Broadway play, The Understudy. This play ran in New York until January 17, 2010.

Gosselaar began filming the TNT series Franklin & Bash in 2010. The show started airing on June 1, 2011. It was canceled in 2014 after four seasons. In 2016, he was cast in the main role of Mike Lawson in the FOX series Pitch. This show premiered on September 22, 2016, but was canceled after one season. He also appeared on Tiffani Thiessen's cooking show, Dinner at Tiffani's.

In 2019, Gosselaar started playing Paul Johnson in the ABC comedy series Mixed-ish. This show is a spin-off of Black-ish. He also returned to his role as Zack Morris in the 2020 sequel series Saved by the Bell.

Personal Life and Hobbies

In a 2009 interview, Mark-Paul Gosselaar shared that he dated his Saved by the Bell co-stars Lark Voorhies, Tiffani Thiessen, and Elizabeth Berkley at different times. He remains good friends with his castmates from the show.

In 1996, Gosselaar married former model Lisa Ann Russell. They had two children together: a son born in 2004 and a daughter born in 2006. They announced their separation in 2010 and their divorce was finalized in 2011.

Gosselaar became engaged to advertising executive Catriona McGinn in August 2011. They married on July 28, 2012, in Santa Ynez, California. They have two children: a son born in 2013 and a daughter born in 2015.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar enjoys many sports and activities. He is a fan of sports cars and is a race car driver. He also enjoys track cycling, dirt biking, and is a pilot. In 2005, he competed in a track cycling championship. He won a sprint event at the Encino Velodrome.

Gosselaar is also friends with Greg White, a voice and announcer for the MotoAmerica Championship. They toured the West Coast of California on motorcycles in 2010.

Among his many athletic achievements, Gosselaar is also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He has trained under Rafael Ramos and Nelson Montiero.

Gosselaar sold his home in Sherman Oaks in February 2022. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Director

Audio Roles

Awards and Nominations

Young Artist Award

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

See also

In Spanish: Mark-Paul Gosselaar para niños