Mark-Paul Gosselaar reflected on his show Bias home run, so the cancellation hit him hard.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Senior Editor Breanne L. Heldman during Saved by the bell at the 90s Con Tampa panel, Gosselaar, 49, called his role Bias “one of my favorites” and said he “gained a lot of weight and muscle” for the role.
Bias aired for one 10-episode season in 2016 and saw Gosselaar’s character, a catcher for the San Diego Padres, working alongside the league’s first baseman, played by Kylie Bunbury.
“I wanted to leave the industry after it was over,” Gosselaar admitted. “It’s one of those, you feel like you’re not going to get opportunities like that in your lifetime, so for it to go the way it did, it was kind of a gut punch. It is still a role, which I do not disparage, but I had to go to therapy with my wife.”
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Gosselaar explained that since Bias filming just 30 minutes from his home, he had to go home and see his wife Catriona McGinn and their children, son Dekker, 9, and Lachlyn, 8, every day after filming was over. However, Gosselaar found himself bringing home the “really aggressive baseball player” attitude he played on TV.
“I would walk in that front door and as my wife said in therapy sessions, ‘That’s not the guy I married,'” Gosselaar said. “And you play this guy and then the next day you have to jump right into it. It’s actually really hard to go back and forth, especially when you have kids.”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar and wife Catriona McGinn at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Pitch’ in 2016.
JB Lacroix/WireImage
Gosselaar – who also shares children Michael Charles, 19, and Ava Lorenn, 17, with ex-wife Lisa Ann Russell – thanked his family for supporting him in his career.
“I consider myself a husband first, a family man second and an actor third,” he said. “It’s not easy, but I have the understanding of the family and the wife who will deal with it, communicate about it.”
The Saved by the bell The alum shared another one of his roles, playing a father Mixedhe influenced the better life of his family.
“It actually made me a better father,” Gosselaar said, giving the example, “My son just painted on the walls — on Mixed, we celebrated him. So it works both ways.”
At the time, Gosselaar’s costars were also disappointed BiasCancellation in May 2017.
“Ginny Baker has profoundly changed my life and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to play a role that resonated with so many people,” wrote Bunbuy (34) on Instagram at the time, referring to her Bias character. “I wasn’t ready to let Ginny go, but more than anything I wasn’t ready to let go of my Pitch family – cast, crew, creators and writers, thank you for the magic. MOST IMPORTANT!!!- Thank you to all the fans who came with us! Your support and love for the show has always touched us deeply! I love you all.”
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Bias co-creator Dan Fogelman wrote on Xformer Twitter, that he and Bias of the team were “completely devastated” by Fox’s decision not to continue with a second season of the show.
“Kevin Falls, [co-creator] Rick Singer and of course Dan Fogelman put together one of the best writers I’ve ever worked with,” star Dan Lauria wrote on Facebook in May 2017. “Our cast was the most skilled I’ve ever worked with, not a headache on the set . Our staff and crew, the best. I wish everyone the continuation of a great career. Love everyone involved Bias.”
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90s Con is currently being held in Tampa through Sunday.
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