Pop-Culturalist.com

As an award-winning storyteller adept in acting, producing, and directing, Mark-Paul Gosselaar has left a significant mark on the industry. His nuanced portrayals in iconic series such as Franklin & Bash and NYPD Blue demonstrate a deep understanding of character intricacies. This depth is brilliantly carried into his latest project, Found, where his role as Sir exemplifies his ability to transform and capture the essence of this deeply dark character.

The show tackles the heartbreaking reality of over 600,000 people going missing in the U.S. each year, many of whom are people of color whose stories are overlooked by the media. Gabi, once one of those forgotten herself, now leads a crisis management team committed to finding the missing and reuniting them with their families. But Gabi carries a dark secret—one that threatens to destroy everything. In a moment of grief, she took justice into her own hands by imprisoning her childhood kidnapper, Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Now, with Sir on the loose, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Pop Culturalist had the opportunity to speak with Mark-Paul Gosselaar about Found Season 2, discussing his creative process for stepping into this role, and his experience directing an upcoming episode.

PC: One of the benefits of television as a medium is the opportunity to live with a character for an extended period of time. Unlike film, where you know the start, middle, and end, TV allows you to learn more with each new episode. With this being an expanded twenty-two-episode season and the introduction of Sir’s family, what new discoveries did you make about him? How did these discoveries inform your approach to the character?
Mark-Paul: You said “benefits,” right? I’d actually call it one of the happy challenges. When you get the pilot script, you see the character as presented, and you have to put a lot of trust in the showrunner and the team behind you—we have some of the best. But it’s a challenge because you might play the character one way, only to find out in Episode 5 that he has a limp. You’re like, “Oh my gosh, my character has a limp?” Then you start limping and think, “I wish I’d known that in the pilot.”

So many things happen this season. We’re nearing the end of the twenty-two episodes, and I wish I had known some of these things earlier, but it wasn’t imperative. We’ve played the character truthfully, and I don’t think there are any gaps. Still, there are definitely a lot of developments this season that will resonate with the audience. We’ve explored the backstory between Sir and Gabrielle, but his world has expanded, and we’ll be showing a lot more of that.

The audience wants more, and we’ve done a great job of satisfying that appetite. We’ve expanded Kelli Williams’ character, Margaret, and we see more of Lacey throughout the season, including some flashbacks. We’ve also introduced new characters. For viewers, there’s a real payoff for investing their time and effort in the show. We’re giving them plenty to enjoy as they follow along on this journey.

PC: You’ve done such a brilliant job stepping into the mindset of this character, living in his truth, and seeing things from his perspective. While it seems to everyone else that Gabi has captured Sir and holds all the control, Sir feels a part of him is happy to be trapped in the basement, believing they are building a deeper connection. As an actor, how did you navigate the dark places required for this character? How did that approach evolve in Season 2 now that the physical barriers are no longer there?
Mark: I was just telling one of our crew members the other day that playing Sir hurts because he carries so much anger. There’s a lot of cortisol running through him, and as an actor, I feel that tension in my shoulders when I play him. I have to find ways to release that. Even though he’s no longer in captivity, that tension remains. Last season felt a bit easier to play because it was a more contained world. Now that Sir is out in the open, there are many more forces at play. I think audiences will appreciate that because we’re giving them more. These episodes are bonkers.

I just directed an episode, and while I always read the scripts in their entirety, I tend to focus on what I need to do for that week. But as a director, you have to be responsible for everything. We pack so much into each episode, week in and week out. It’s a testament to our crew, our writers, and Nkechi [Okoro Carroll] that we can deliver what we call an “elevated procedural.” In 42 minutes, there’s so much happening. It’s amazing that we manage to pull it off every week.
PC: One of the hallmarks of a great show is its ability to spark discussions, and your portrayal of Sir has certainly done that, leaving viewers divided on whether he’s truly the villain. As an actor, you have to approach him without bias. How have you been able to toe that line? What does it say about us as a society that this is even a debate?
Mark-Paul: Yeah. [laughs] The fact that we’re debating whether or not he’s a villain is disturbing at times. I’ve been out in public with Shanola [Hampton], and a woman came up to us and said, “I love the show and the chemistry between the two of you.” Then she looked right at Shanola and asked, “Why did you make him so bad?” I got a kick out of that. Shanola, not so much. We had a conversation about it afterward.

When I first took on this role, I didn’t see that. Maybe Nkechi [Okoro Carroll] realized that and tapped into something that would provoke this kind of discussion. But I had to approach Sir without consciously playing him as a villain. He’s human. He’s made some terrible choices, but my perspective has to come from a place of humanity. I play him based on what’s written, but I can’t be the stereotypical villain, twirling my mustache. In Sir’s mind, he doesn’t believe what he did to Gabrielle is wrong—he thinks he’s righteous, that everything he’s done was for her benefit, and that he’s saving her. I’ve never played him as someone who knows he’s doing something terrible.

PC: You mentioned directing earlier. During a For Your Consideration event, the writers talked about how each of them had a personal connection to the stories they helped bring to life in Season 1. Was it a similar process in deciding which of the twenty-two episodes you would direct? And how different is that experience when working with an ensemble cast, many of whom are also multifaceted and have directed before?
Mark-Paul: I don’t know how they chose my episode, but I knew it would be after the halfway point, closer to the end of the season. I was very lucky to work with a brilliant writer—I don’t want to give too much away, but she was fantastic. We do tap into personal stories, and this one was really interesting with some great actors. I’d love to chat with you more about it later because I got to work with an actor I’ve collaborated with before. He was incredible, and I’m thrilled we got to work together again, this time in a different capacity.

As for the second part of your question, we truly have an amazing cast. They are all so talented and know their characters inside and out, which allows them to connect with what excites the audience. I was really grateful for how open they were to my direction. I gave them minimal notes because there wasn’t much that needed adjusting, but every note I did give, they processed and portrayed in such an organic way. On top of that, we have one of the best crews out there, and they made my life a lot easier. I’m currently editing the episode, and I’m really happy with how it’s turning out.

PC: There’s such an intricate dance between Gabi and Sir. You and Shanola don’t rehearse ahead of time, so the interactions feel genuine during the moment of filming. Is that a similar process with Azaria Carter, who plays the younger version of Gabi?
Mark-Paul: Not rehearsing with an actor is new for me. The other day, I worked with someone else, and we were able to run lines before actually getting on set. Shanola has her own process, which I respect, and it’s worked for us. But with Azaria, who plays young Gabi, I deliberately kept my distance. I did that so we wouldn’t get too comfortable with each other. I wanted that discomfort to come across on screen. I think it worked well. She’s a fantastic actor. There were moments when I watched her and felt awful because of what Sir was doing, and I could see how emotionally affected she was. But she’s amazing in how she handles it all.

Season 2 of Found airs every Thursday at 10/9c on NBC. Stream it the next day on Peacock.

Photo Credit: Fernando Decillis/NBC