Samuel Abraham Goudsmit 1902-1978

Mark-Paul (known as MP) Gosselaar is a Dutch American actor who has been active largely in several television series since 1986. His father Hans Gosselaar, and his mother Paula Gosselaar were both born in the Netherlands, although his mother was of Indonesian descent. His three older siblings, all born in the Netherlands, are brother, Mike, and sisters, Linda and Sylvia.  MP is the only American born in his family.

Gosselaar is best known for his television roles as Zack Morris on NBC’s “Saved by the Bell”, detective John Clark on “NYPD Blue” and for his more recent role as Jerry Kellerman on TNT’s “Raising the Bar”.

Gosselaar can be viewed as a journeyman actor, and has not recently been nominated for any awards for his numerous appearances on the movie or television screen. He was, however, nominated for five young artists’ awards during the early years of his acting career. In 1989, he was nominated for Best Young Actor in a Cable Television Family Series for his role in “Good Morning, Miss Bliss”. In 1990, he was nominated for an Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast for his role in “Saved by the Bell”. And in the next year, in 1991, he was nominated for, and won, the Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Primetime Series for his role in “Saved by the Bell”. In each of the following two years, in 1992 and 1993, Gosselaar was again nominated for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Primetime Series for his role in “Saved by the Bell”. So the television series “Saved by the Bell” was a memorable one for Gosselaar in terms of the award he won and the award nominations he received.

As can be seen from the above, Gosselaar has made his name as an actor through the television screen. During his entire acting career, he performed on various television series from the beginning of his acting career to the present. Three of the television series he starred in lasted for several years. His first multi-year television series was “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” in which he participated from 1987 to 1989. His longest television series in which he participated was “Saved by the Bell” in its various formats. Gosselaar was involved in “Saved by the Bell” from 1989 to 1995. And the last one of the multi-year series was “NYPD Blue”, in which he appeared from 2001 to 2005.

Gosselaar has been married to Lisa Ann Russell since August 1996. The couple has two children, a son Michael Charles born in 2004, and a daughter Ava Lorenn, born in 2006. In his free time, Gosselaar’s is quite an athlete and sporting enthusiast. He is a race car driver, and has competed in the Long Beach Toyota Grand Prix. He is also a track cyclist and has won the Category 4/5 Sprint Championship at the Encino, California Velodrome, in 2005. He also likes to play golf, ski, surf, tae kwon do, and participate in a game of hockey or football.