Things were looking up for Mark-Paul Gosselaar. He’d worked his way back into our hearts by dressing up as Zack Morris on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, TNT finally let him cut his hair, and he was enjoying a successful New York run of The Understudy (read the EW review). Then, the aforementioned network had to go and pull his sophomore drama Raising the Bar, citing underwhelming ratings. But while audiences might not have been tuning in to watch M-PG make his case to the court, we think there is still life in him yet. So for our dear cupcake-feeding friend of PopWatch, we have compiled a list of suggestions for his next move.
1. Join the cast of Glee. If he wants to stay on TV, it’s time for M-PG to be on the other side of the classroom, and what better home for the Bayside alum than McKinley High? We know from his Zack Attack performance on Fallon that he has some musical ability, so why not hit the high notes alongside Mr. Schuster (Matthew Morrison)? Glee would also be a chance for Gosselaar to finally take off the suit and tie he’s worn on TV for the past 10 years and get back into the campy goodness that made him a star. Ryan Murphy, we know you have a soft spot for Saved By the Bell — that’s the only reason and the abs you would have put A.C. Slater on Nip/Tuck. How about opening up that hit-show-making heart for Mark-Paul?
2. Guest on Glee. We really like this idea.
What do you think? Should we start a campaign to get Gosselaar on Glee? Or do you have something else in mind? He’s a bit of a Patrick Dempsey: goofy charm, nostalgic street cred, boyish good looks. Maybe it’s time for a big-screen romantic comedy?
Photo credit: Gosselaar: Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd; Morrison: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX
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He would be really fun! I think he could make a great foil to the always-the-optimist Will.
it would be great to see him on something fun like glee. but RTB sucked. it was the only show on TNT i didn’t like. not sorry they cancelled the show.
he could guest as will’s brother. i actually thought that was going to be the suggestion when i first saw the side-by-sides at the top of the page. they DO look slightly similar, no?
Pose for Playgirl!
I don’t care what he does…he just needs to keep working! Glee would certainly be fantastic though.
I think on Glee he would wind up being written as a guest star and not a recurring character, and I do like to see M-P G workin’. He needs a show that can use him in subtle ways. Like, on Nurse Jackie, playing straight man to Facinelli’s doc. A hospital administrator who doesn’t like to be thought of as a bad guy… a one-season guest star to the cast.
Of course, a kind of unofficial continuation of SBTB done like The Office, where a grown-up Zach is principal to the kind of overprivileged California suburbanites from Laguna Beach might be fun, too.
I like that second idea. Might just work.
I could see him being a worthy romantic interest for Peggy on Mad Men. I think he has the perfect blend of style and grit it would take to fit in amongst that great ensemble. Plus, I really want Pegs to meet her match in that department.
You are crazy. With all the thousands of real actors out there who actually SHOULD guest on Glee, why are you giving him press. Sad.
No Glee! They already have a big enough cast and I’m sick of guest stars….
oh my god that would be THE BEST IDEA EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! I HEART ZACK MORRIS!!!
MPG has talent. I think he needs a comedy as well. I say let him have a recurring role on Desperate Housewives as a bad boy professor for Tom! He could have some snaky secret for wanting to get into Tom’s life. After all one of the chicks from SBTB, the college Yrs was Tom’s crazy ex girlfriend! MPG could play Tom’s sneaky illegitimate daughter’s new lover (she has aged 5 yrs after all when they did that wild time jump thing.)
CindyC, i’m guessing thats not the lamest thing you have ever said, but I bet its up there! They are giving him press because he IS a real actor. Not some fruitbasket who can only do high school musicals. And seriously EW, I know all that is gay is all that is right with you guys, but hows about a break from TwilightLambertGlee Weekly for one day? Hmm? Perhaps?
I’m 100% behind this idea. He could be the thing that keeps Emma and Will apart after Will and Terri (please god) break up. The handsome new (random class) teacher who’s single and takes a liking to Emma? Or even better, the vice principal, so that he can get involved in the Will/Sue/Principal Figgins debacle too. And if they do that, he should absolutely be Vice Principal Belding.
He should do 30 Rock. Everyone guests on 30 Rock. That shows entire cast is guest stars, he’d be perfect. From there he could launch a great guest/supporting star career by appearing on shows like Glee, The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, FlashForward, NCIS: LA, NCIS, Modern Family, Mad Men (like that idea), maybe Breaking Bad, or even Nip/Tuck. The guys good at both drama and sitcom. So I say put him in everything NOW when he’s just gaining his street cred back. Then when a new show comes along they can cast him. Patrick Dempsey got an Emmy nod for his guest spot on Once and Again, and then guested on The Practice, and then got Grey’s Anatomy. If MP-G does this same strategy he can come back in full force and then start doing those romantic comedy movies or supporting roles in drama films that he should have been doing 10 years ago.
If I were to think of a character for him on Glee, I’d make him a substitute. Like the perfect one. Thing one thing that irks me about Will is that he know’s he is the *hit. That all the girls love him and what would be great to see is someone else come in and take a little wind out of his sails even if just for one episode and MPG is good looking enough to do that.
Write idea, pauch….but you could have summarized by saying that he should pull a “Rod Belding.”
Right idea, I meant…ugh.