Mark-Paul Gosselaar may play the villain to Shanola Hampton’s hero on their NBC show, Found, but the costars have formed a close bond on set.
“[The cast members] each bring a light to the show that I find myself — much like the audience has, thankfully — really connecting [to] and relating to their characters,” Gosselaar, 49, tells Us Weekly exclusively. “But I really do enjoy our scenes [together].”
Hampton, 46, previously starred on Showtime’s Shameless from 2011 to 2021, while Gosselaar is best known for his work on Saved by the Bell. Their new show, Found, follows Gabi Mosely (Hampton), a crisis management specialist who leads a team dedicated to finding missing people forgotten by the press and police. Gabi enlists her own childhood kidnapper, Hugh “Sir” Evans (Gosselaar), to help her solve cases while she keeps him locked in her basement.
“I have to say that with the exception of maybe one scene, [the scenes] in the basement I’m really proud of,” Hampton tells Us of the tense scenes she shares underground with Gosselaar.
“You do really good work, though,” Gosselaar chimes in. “I have watched the shows when they’re on, sometimes — I don’t like to watch myself. But I really enjoy the procedural aspects of the show, I think they’re very smartly written.”
The show also stars Gabrielle Walsh, Kelli Williams, Brett Dalton, A’Zaria Latrell Carter, Arlen Escarpeta and Karan Oberoi, all of whom Gosselaar is proud to work with.
“I think the actors are very good. Kelli kills me,” he gushes. “Kelli’s scenes, the ones on the bus, those kill me as a father. She’s amazing.”
Williams’ character, Margaret Reed, serves as Gabi’s lead investigator while also searching for her son, Jamie, who was abducted 13 years prior.
Despite the serious subject matter of the show, the cast still finds time to have fun on set. Oberoi is the biggest prankster on set, according to Hampton. “He’s just an idiot, in the best way,” she tells Us. “That’s my dude. He’s just a fool.”
Gosselaar loves to tease Hampton between takes. “You’re the only one I can prank,” he says. “I can’t really prank A’Zaria because those scenes are dark and it’s terrible.”
Hampton, however, is an easier target. Gosselaar once jokingly announced to the entire cast and crew that she was cast in Ghostbusters after she showed up on set in a jumpsuit. “I can’t stand him,” Hampton tells Us.
While Gosselaar and Hampton both give standout performances on Found, Gosselaar says it’s the supporting cast members that keep him watching the show. “I’m brought back every week by the other cast members,” he adds.
Found airs on NBC Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
