Mark-Paul Gosselaar was famous as Zack Morris from “Saved by the Bell.”
The actor dated three of his female cast members and married one.
His experience as a child actor was unpleasant, so he would prefer his kids to not follow in his footsteps.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar broke into fame as Zack Morris in “Saved by the Bell. He was the teenage boy everyone adored in the show, famous for his flowing blonde hair.
Now at 49, Gosselaar is still a heartthrob, but fans who loved him from the hit series may struggle to notice him as he sports a look very different from his younger days.
Gosselaar recently attended the 90s-themed Con Festival and looked unrecognizable without his signature blonde hair. He ditched the blonde in favor of dark, shorter brown hair, and added a pair of dark-rimmed glasses to his new look. He wore a classic outfit of a cream button-up shirt and grey pants.
Since he first took on the role of Zack Morris in 1989, Gosselaar has portrayed several characters and returned for a special “Saved by the Bell” spin-off in 2021.
Speaking about his days on “Saved by the Bell” during the Con Festival, the actor opened about how fans would come up to him asking about his hair. He recalled: “I always find it fascinating that people ask me like, ‘That wasn’t your real hair?’ From season to season it changed,” before jokingly adding, it was “not a color you can put on a driver’s license.”
Behind the scenes of the show, the actor broke hearts. It was revealed that Gosselaar dated three of his female co-stars. Even Mario Lopez confessed to dating one of his cast members, which resulted in fights and drama on set.
This left the producer Peter Engle to act as a parent breaking off fights. But not all was in vain because Gosselaar ended up marrying one of the co-stars he dated.
Who Is the Actor’s Wife?
Gosselaar married Lisa Anne Russell, who appeared in one episode of the show’s spin-off, “Saved by the Bell: The College Years.”
The two tied the knot in 1995 and welcomed two children, Michael and Ava, but they divorced in 2010. Gosselaar then married a marketing executive, Catriona McGinn in 2012. He and his wife also share two children, Dekker and Lachyln.
McGinn still remembered their beautiful wedding ceremony, especially her husband’s vows that got her and the rest of their guests teary.
The wedding also had a special ceremony to include the couple’s children to represent them blending into a big happy family. From there, they led their guests to a beautiful reception.
The process of getting the perfect engagement ring was important for the actor. He said he spent months designing it, and when it was finally done, he could not wait to give it to McGinn.
But he had to contain his excitement and take care of a crucial step, asking the bride’s father for his blessing first. Once he got McGinn’s father’s approval, he excitedly went down on one knee. “I wouldn’t do it any other way,” he said.
Who Are the Actor’s Kids, and Why Doesn’t He Want Them to Follow in His Footsteps?
Gosselaar, whose children with Russell are teenagers and starting to develop career interests, has kept their lives private, though he has revealed a few details about them.
The actor said his son Michael, was athletic but did not want to be an athlete; rather, he preferred a career in the entertainment industry.
The “Pitch” star admitted he did not want his children to follow in his footsteps. He explained, “I think I would be more supportive when he turns 18. I wouldn’t want him to go through it as a child, but when he becomes 18, he can do whatever he wants.”
Gosselar’s aversion to his children becoming child stars like him was borne out of his own experience. He believes getting into the industry as a child could be challenging, especially when dealing with rejection.
The father of four said the rejection was so blunt that the industry treated child actors like adults. To have to process being sidelined because of your looks was something that Gosselaar found challenging to grapple with as a child actor.
Even directors knew the intensity of the industry, and Gosselaar remembered being told, “The minute you walk through these double doors leading onto the stage, you’re no longer a child anymore; you’re an adult. You have to act like an adult.”
This kind of treatment has led the actor to be extra protective over his children from the industry, “That’s one of the reasons I don’t want my children in it is because I don’t feel it’s a place for children,” he expressed.
Gosselaar and his wife have blocked the public out of their family life. McGinn has no social media accounts, and the actor only has a few posts on his Instagram. But the “Mixed-ish” star shared a photo of his wife and four children at Legoland in 2019 on Twitter.
The actor is passionate about raising children who know they can do anything. He loves that the world has evolved, and his sons know that whatever they can do, their sisters can do too, and vice versa.
For instance, the family loves baseball, and Gosselaar said one of his daughters is already better at throwing than his sons. With baseball being such a male-dominated field, he hopes for children to learn the value of equality.
He further reiterated, “I don’t think we live in that world anymore. I think we’ve evolved a little bit more. It’s important for my daughters to be able to dream and attain their dreams.”
Despite his experiences, Gosselaar is determined to be a role model for his children and create a better environment for them as they navigate the stages of their lives.