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Mark-Paul Gosselaar Is a Devoted Family Man — Learn More About His Life at Home
The Found star and former teen heartthrob explained what his kids think of Saved by the Bell.
It’s been 30 years since we had our first “Zack attack” watching Mark-Paul Gosselaar's charming character on Saved by the Bell. Now, the latest role in his expansive acting career is as a lead in the hit thriller Found, where he plays a diabolic kidnapper held captive by his former victim. The show will return to NBC for its second season Thursday, October 3.
Off-screen, Gosselaar couldn't be more different than "Sir," his sinister character on Found. Instead, he is a dad of four who is all about work-life balance — and chauffeuring his kids around town.
Here's what to know about Gosselaar's family life.
Who is Mark-Paul Gosselaar's wife, Catriona McGinn?
Gosselaar married advertising executive Catriona McGinn in July 2012 at a stunning Provençal-style winery in Santa Ynez. Since then, the couple have welcomed two children, Lachlyn Hope, now 8, and Dekker Edward, now 9.
RELATED: A Sinister Kidnapper, a Tough Missing Persons Expert — Meet the Cast of New NBC Drama Found
He also shares daughter Ave Lorenn, 17, and Michael Charles, 19, with ex-wife Lisa Russell.
McGinn is a star in her own right — in the realm of broadcast and online media. After attending college in Canada, she held executive advertising positions at Media Monitors and Nielsen BDSRadio. Though she hails from “The Great White North,” she feels a special connection to her family’s Scottish roots.
To honor McGinn’s Scottish heritage, the couple arranged for a bagpiper to play during their wedding ceremony, and many of their loved ones donned traditional Scottish kilts, Inside Weddings reported. As McGuinn’s father walked her down the aisle, “Highland Cathedral,” the unofficial anthem of Scotland, filled the air.
The couple wrote their own vows to each other, and apparently, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“Mark-Paul’s vows made me cry, as well as the rest of the congregation,” McGinn fondly recalled to Inside Weddings.
Who are Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s kids?
Gosselaar is a parent to Ave Lorenn, 17, Michael Charles, 19, Lachlyn Hope, 8, and Dekker Edward, 9.
He and McGinn are currently in the thick of parenting and enjoying every minute.
“It is fun to see the different stages the [kids] are in,” Gosselaar told PEOPLE in 2019, “We’re busy in all aspects of parenting at the moment, from short-order cooks to Uber drivers, to Postmates drivers, to Amazon delivery drivers. We’re covering all the bases.”
He may have been the coolest kid at Bayside High, but Gosselaar knows his own kids don't care much about his past.
“My 14-year-old son goes to school and is like, ‘Dad, the girls love you!’ and I’m like, ‘No, they love Zack Morris,’” he told PEOPLE. “I think they are indifferent [about my work]. Honestly, my kids are ‘screenagers’ — if it isn’t something they can watch in five minutes, they don’t.”
Now, two of his kids are older than he was when he shot to national fame at age 15. He talked about the challenges he faced growing up as a child actor in the documentary Kid 90 directed by Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster), and noted he personally doesn’t want his own kids to follow the same path.
“[Those years are] the most awkward period in your life, and that’s when we were in front of the cameras,” Gosselaar recalled.
Though his character Zach may not have done so well in school, the relatable actor is certainly scoring high marks as a parent!
Found Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 3 at 10/9c on NBC. Stream all of Season 1 on Peacock right here!
Originally published Sep 13, 2023.
