Mark-Paul Gosselaar was born on March 1, 1974, in Panorama City, California, to Hans Gosselaar and Paula (van den Brink). His father, a plant supervisor at Anheuser-Busch, was of German and Dutch Jewish descent, while his mother, an airline hostess, was of Dutch-Indonesian background. Gosselaar's parents are divorced, and he has an older brother, Mike, and two older sisters, Linda and Sylvia.
Gosselaar began his career in small movies and commercials before landing a role in the teen hit Saved by the Bell in 1989. He starred alongside Tiffani Thiessen, who played his girlfriend Kelly Kapowski, and the two characters eventually got married after the show ended. He also starred in the spin-off series Saved by the Bell: The College Years.
Gosselaar's other notable television roles include Commander in Chief, NYPD Blue, and Mixed-ish. He has also appeared in several TV movies, including Atomic Twister, The Princess & the Marine, and Born Into Exile. On the big screen, he has appeared in films such as Dead Man on Campus and Sticks and Stones.
In his personal life, Gosselaar is an avid pilot and enjoys cycling, motocross, and auto racing. He has been married twice, first to model Lisa Ann Russell from 1996 to 2011, and then to advertising executive Catriona McGinn in 2012. He has four children, two with Lisa and two with Catriona.
Gosselaar currently resides outside of Los Angeles and has been involved in several charitable endeavors, including supporting the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
