If you haven't seen this yet, you must stop whatever you are doing and devote the next few minutes to watching it.
Can I just say that I love Mark-Paul for doing this? Most child/teen actors want to leave their well-known character behind and never talk about it interviews. Mark-Paul not only talked about it, he WAS Zack Morris in this interview. And he agreed to come to the Saved by the Bell reunion that Jimmy Fallon is planning.
Isn't it kind of amazing how he looks exactly the same? He looks at least 8 years younger than he did on Saved by the Bell: The College Years (not to mention 30 pounds lighter). Don't get me wrong, you can tell that he's wearing some heavy makeup. But he looks good (and the hair. GOD, the hair).
Mark-Paul Gosselaar has gone on to a fairly successful career. He's had recurring roles on many long-running television shows, including NYPD Blue, John from Cincinnati, and his newest show, Raising the Bar. And it must be acknowledged that he is still super good-looking.
So basically, Mark-Paul Gosselaar played an archetypal figure in the minds of many people around my age. The rambunctious, scheming good-looking guy who was always getting into mischief, but always got away with it because he was so gosh-darn likable. I realize that there were others before him and there have been others since, but for people of my generation, it just doesn't get any better than Zack Morris.
We didn't have the same over-saturation that kids have today. As the only live-action Saturday morning show for many years, SBTB looked different than anything else in the morning lineup. It was appointment television viewing for every kid my age. Who doesn't remember the prom that Kelly Kapowski couldn't afford to go to because her father lost his job and so Zack held an outdoor prom/picnic for the two of them right outside the gym? And there was that epic moment when Jessi and Slater were lip-syncing/singing Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" in their gladiator gear and off-the-shoulder sweatshirt-clad Kelly breaks up with Zack because she wants to go out with the older guy, Jeff. These were life-changing moments for kids my age. And everybody talked about it.
Saved by the Bell is one of the shows that defined my generation. Actually, now that I think about it, I challenge anybody around 25 years of age to come up with any other show that so clearly represents our age group. One could make an argument for Beverly Hills, 90210, but boys didn't watch that show in large numbers. And there was lots of sex in that show. Saved by the Bell had sexy cast members (well...they were sexy by 90's standards) but the show itself never got too sexy. After all, they showed it on Saturday Mornings. But I digress; what I mean to say is it is hard to find a person around my age who doesn't know what the Max is (or for that matter, who Jeff Hunter is). You could go to any hip, downtown bar on a Friday night and suggest everyone do "The Sprain" and the majority of the people would know what you were talking about.
Thank you, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, for having the courage to don your Zack Morris gear again. And God bless you, Jimmy Fallon, for trying to get the gang back together.
Zack Attack!+The Roots=AWESOMENESS.
Have a great weekend everybody and remember to take a TIME OUT to acknowledge Mark-Paul Gosselaar as a fun, fearless male (TIME IN).
Love,
Elle Bunny
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