Mark-Paul Gosselaar Admits His Kids (and Wife!) Aren't Fans of His New Beard

The Saved By The Bell alum explains why his family is not into the new scruffy look

Mark-Paul Gosselaar has some tough critics: his kids!

After revealing a scruffy new look at the 2016 Summer TCA Press Tour on Monday, the actor confessed that three of his children — Dekker Edward, 2½, Ava Lorenn, 10, and Michael Charles, 12 -– and his wife Catriona McGinn are not fans.

“It’s pretty soft,” Gosselaar, 42, told reporters of his beard at Monday’s Fox All-Star Party in Los Angeles. “I don’t have curly hair, so it’s not sticking me.”

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The Saved By The Bell alum, who grew his beard in preparation of his role in the new Fox series Pitch, explained why his wife dislikes it so much.

“I got comfortable with it within the first few months,” the father of four admits. “It’s been a lot longer than this. This is showtime beard, but from the pilot until we started shooting, it probably grew another three inches, and that’s when it kind of grosses her out. Things were just left in there.”

But Gosselaar’s youngest — Lachlyn Hope, 17 months — doesn’t seem to mind her dad’s facial hair.

“Poor thing, she’s never seen me without a beard,” he reveals. “She doesn’t know me without a beard! I’ll have to shave it off. Half the family will be celebrating because the kids don’t like it either.”

— Christina Dugan