The slow-motion runs, the blazing sun, and those iconic red swimsuits — Baywatch was more than just a TV show; it was a cultural moment. Now, Fox is bringing the lifeguard drama back with a straight-to-series reboot set to air in the 2026–2027 season. For fans, it is impossible not to wonder what became of the original stars. The stars who kept California (and later Hawaii) beaches safe between 1989 and 2001.
Here are some details about the show that once captured the imaginations of TV viewers everywhere:
The series stretched across 11 seasons, not to mention spinoffs and TV movies. The stories ranged from natural disasters to encounters with mermaids (yes, that really happened). As the lifeguard towers get prepped for another round, where are the OG faces now?
1. David Hasselhoff as Mitch Buchannon
If Baywatch was the beach, then David Hasselhoff was the sand holding it all together. He played the role of Mitch Buchannon. His character was the fearless captain of the lifeguards. Hasselhoff appeared in 220 episodes, plus the spinoffs Baywatch Nights and Baywatch: Hawaii. He even helped save the show itself — when NBC axed it after just one season, he put his own money into syndication, a gamble that paid off big-time.
Looking back, he once told People in 2017,
I think the favorite thing about Baywatch was the fact that it was all run by us. The show was canceled, we brought it back, and there were four of us. So one of us was a writer, one of us was a director, one of us was the lifeguard, and David Hasselhoff was the PR guy, the star, keeping up the morale.
Since then, “The Hoff” has turned his career into a buffet of everything entertainment. He’s sung his way through 15 studio albums (yes, including 2021’s hilariously titled Party Your Hasselhoff), strutted across Broadway in Jekyll & Hyde and Chicago, and hopped onto reality TV as a judge on America’s Got Talent. His knack for parodying himself has also made him a cameo king, popping up in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Piranha 3DD, and even Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Off the beach, Hasselhoff has had his share of ups and downs, including a very public divorce from Pamela Bach in 2006. He remarried in 2018 to Hayley Roberts and remains close with his daughters, Taylor-Ann and Hayley. The man has basically done it all — except maybe actually work a lifeguard shift. If confidence could swim, it would probably look like David Hasselhoff in slow motion.
2. Pamela Anderson as C.J. Parker
When Pamela Anderson joined in Season 3 as C.J. Parker, she didn’t just play a lifeguard. The woman became the face of Baywatch. At the start, she earned just $1,500 per episode. But by the time her five-year run ended, her paycheck had ballooned to $300,000 an episode (via New York Post). This made her one of the highest-paid actresses on TV.
Anderson parlayed her bombshell fame into movies like Barb Wire (1996), Scary Movie 3 (2003), and Alone at Night (2022), plus a starring role in the TV series V.I.P. She’s danced through multiple seasons of Dancing With the Stars and even hit Broadway in 2022, starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago.
Beyond acting, she’s an author of novels (Star and Star Struck), as well as her memoir Love, Pamela, which came paired with a Netflix documentary. Both projects helped her reclaim her story after the controversial Pam & Tommy miniseries. And in 2024, she got back into comedy films, starring opposite Liam Neeson in The Naked Gun.
Personally, she’s weathered five divorces, raised her two sons, Brandon and Dylan (with ex-husband Tommy Lee), and dedicated much of her later life to animal activism. Anderson may have slowed her run down the sand, but her legacy still runs faster than anyone in that red swimsuit.
“She was deepening in her orange color”: Jamie Lee Curtis Couldn’t Resist Paying a Baywatch-style Homage to Pamela Anderson on ‘The Last Showgirl’
3. Alexandra Paul as Stephanie Holden
Alexandra Paul entered Baywatch as Stephanie Holden, Mitch’s colleague and sometimes love interest, but her career both before and after the show has been remarkably versatile. With over 100 credits to her name — including 15 Lifetime movies — Paul has kept herself firmly in the Hollywood circuit.
However, she also expanded her expertise behind the camera, executive-producing documentaries like Jam Packed: The Challenge of Human Overpopulation (1997) and The Cost of Cool (2001). Her work even earned her a United Nations honor for overpopulation awareness in 1997. More recently, she’s appeared in films like Escaping My Stalker, Tethered, and Baby Steps.
Outside of acting, Paul is a certified health coach and political activist. She has been fighting for animal rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmental causes. She also revealed a very personal memory from her Baywatch days. She explained how she helped protect co-star Jaason Simmons from being outed by the press. Paul has balanced Hollywood glitz with activism and personal integrity, a path that feels just as courageous as Stephanie ever was.
If lifeguarding were about saving causes instead of swimmers, Alexandra Paul would still be on duty.
4. Jeremy Jackson as Hobie Buchannon
Jeremy Jackson grew up on the sands of Baywatch, playing Mitch’s son Hobie and quickly becoming a teen idol. But his story after the show has been a rollercoaster. He tried music in the ’90s, releasing two albums, before personal struggles with drugs derailed his career.
In After Baywatch, Jackson admitted to using crystal meth while on the show. In later years, Jackson appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015. But he was ejected after just four days for s*xually harassing a fellow contestant. That same year, he was sentenced to four-and-a-half months in prison over a stabbing incident. His personal life was equally rocky — he was briefly married to former model Loni Willison from 2012 to 2014.
Jeremy Jackson has shifted his focus far from the beach these days. He’s poured his efforts into recovery, sobriety, and overall wellness, guiding people through breathwork and mindfulness sessions with his group, Energy. On top of that, he also leads men’s retreats in Costa Rica.
5. Michael Newman as Michael “Newmie” Newman
Unlike most of the cast, Michael Newman didn’t just play a lifeguard — he was one in real life. Originally hired as a technical consultant, he ended up starring as Michael “Newmie” Newman across 150 episodes. After the show, he kept things relatively quiet. He moved into real estate and focused on family life with his wife, Sarah, and their two children.
In 2006, Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Speaking to People in 2023, he reflected on the challenges. He said,
Everything changes. All those things that you thought you were going to do with your children and grandchildren, pictures we were going to take, all the plans I had… stopped.
He found new meaning in sharing his story through the documentary After Baywatch. Sadly, Newman passed away in 2024 at age 67. His passing was due to heart complications. His close friend and After Baywatch director Matt Felker confirmed he was surrounded by loved ones in his final moments.
6. Yasmine Bleeth as Caroline Holden
Yasmine Bleeth was practically born for the camera. Her first gig came at just 10 months old in a Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo commercial, and by the time she joined Baywatch as Caroline Holden, she had already built up credits on Hey Babe!, Ryan’s Hope, and One Life to Live.
She once laughed about her unusual entry into the show, telling Late Night with Conan O’Brien back in 1995,
I actually didn’t audition for the show. I did a guest spot, and I actually did my audition in full dress — I had jeans on and a T-shirt. And then they called about five or six months later and offered me the part. So I never actually had to show my wares, so to speak.
Her star quickly shot up. Magazines couldn’t stop putting her on “most beautiful” and “sexiest” lists, and she even scored a part in the cult comedy BASEketball (1998). Soon after, she swapped lifeguard duty for cop duty on Nash Bridges, starring opposite Don Johnson. Later, she tried her hand at nighttime soap opera drama again with Aaron Spelling’s Titans in 2000.
In later years, she stepped away from the spotlight. She was dealing with personal struggles, including cocaine addiction. Arrests and rehab stints followed, but she eventually turned things around. In 2002, she married Paul Cerrito, a strip club owner she met while in treatment, and she’s largely stayed out of Hollywood’s glare since. Still, she surprised fans with a comeback in 2021, appearing in the mobster comedy Whack the Don.
7. Carmen Electra as Lani McKenzie
By the time Carmen Electra slipped into that red swimsuit in season 8 as lifeguard Lani McKenzie, she was already a name people recognized. Baywatch just turned her into a full-blown pop culture icon. After the beach, she kept her career as eclectic as ever — acting, dancing, modeling, and pretty much owning her “sex symbol” image instead of running from it.
She popped up in big-screen comedies like Starsky & Hutch and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, went full camp with 2-Headed Shark Attack, and leaned into parody classics like Scary Movie, Epic Movie, and Meet the Spartans. On top of that, she performed with The Pussycat Dolls, wrote the playful self-help book How to Be Sexy, and even sat on judging panels for reality TV favorites like So You Think You Can Dance and Britain’s Got Talent.
She married NBA wild card Dennis Rodman in 1998 (the relationship was short and turbulent) and later tied the knot again with rocker Dave Navarro in 2004 before splitting three years later. Later, she got engaged to musician Rob Patterson, though the engagement ended in 2012. In 2023, Electra even revisited her comedic chops. She reprised her role as Roxanne in Good Burger 2.
8. David Charvet as Matt Brody
David Charvet may have played dreamy lifeguard Matt Brody for three seasons. Once his Baywatch chapter ended, he found himself back in the primetime soap circuit, joining Melrose Place. But by the late ‘90s, Charvet had his eyes on music. He signed with Universal Music Group France, and his debut single “Should I Leave” hit No. 3 on the charts. He went on to release three albums, selling over 2.5 million copies worldwide, blending pop-rock with bilingual flair.
He later returned to acting here and there, popping up in smaller films like Prisoners of the Sun (2013). But these days, he’s traded scripts for blueprints, cofounding Jones Builders Group and focusing on luxury home development in coastal California.
Romantically, Charvet’s life has also been a mix of high-profile moments. He dated Pamela Anderson in the early ’90s, later married TV personality Brooke Burke in 2011, and though they divorced in 2018, they share two children, Heaven and Shaya. Charvet went from flexing on the beach to flipping beachfront properties — that’s one way to stay near the ocean.
9. Nicole Eggert as Summer Quinn
Nicole Eggert already had a solid career going, with Charles in Charge and films like Blown Away, before she joined Baywatch as Summer Quinn. But her time on the beach lasted only two seasons. Looking back, Nicole has been honest. She talked about how tough it was behind the scenes. She said (via People),
All the girls worked out and were super tiny and fit and I was like ‘Whoops.’ And the one-piece bathing suits were not flattering. I didn’t want to wear it at all. It just wasn’t what I signed up for. It was a totally different show and ballgame and not where I wanted to be.
Even after leaving the sand and surf, Nicole kept busy in Hollywood. She popped up in sitcom favorites like Married… with Children, Boy Meets World, and Gilmore Girls. Then she dove into reality TV. We had seen her in shows like Celebrity Fit Club, Botched, Battle of the Network Stars, and even The Bachelor. In 2023, she launched her podcast Perfectly Twisted. There, she has lighthearted conversations with candid stories about her Hollywood childhood and motherhood.
Her personal life had its fair share of ups and downs, too. In 2018, she accused former co-star Scott Baio of s*xual abuse. This was during their Charles in Charge years, though no charges were filed due to the statute of limitations. In early 2024, she revealed she was battling stage 2 breast cancer. Eggert has two daughters, named Dilyn and Keegan.
10. David Chokachi as Cody Madison
David Chokachi joined the show in 1995 as Cody Madison. His character was an Olympic swimmer turned lifeguard, and quickly became a fan favorite.
After leaving Baywatch in 1999, Chokachi kept his career afloat with steady TV roles. He was seen in Witchblade and Beyond the Break, as well as a string of TV movies. He also appeared in films like Soul Surfer, Emerald Run, and some indie projects.
Away from Hollywood, Chokachi’s life has been much calmer than Cody’s adventures. He married Susan Brubaker in 2004, and the couple shares a daughter named Brit.
11. Gena Lee Nolin as Neely Capshaw
Gena Lee Nolin jumped off the Baywatch towers in 1998 and into her own adventure, landing the title role in Sheena, where she swapped swimsuits for leopard print. She also popped up in the culty Underground Comedy Movie a year later.
Talking about her Baywatch experience years later, she remembered the vibe fondly. She said (via Cosmopolitan),
Everyone helped each other. Right down to the makeup artist, to hair, to wardrobe, everyone tried to encourage each other. There wasn’t a lot of fighting, and certainly nothing that I got involved in.
Eventually, Nolin chose family over Hollywood. She opened up about her battle with undiagnosed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. She even penned the 2013 book Beautiful Inside and Out: Conquering Thyroid Disease with a Healthy, Happy, ‘Thyroid Sexy’ Life. She dipped back into her Baywatch roots for a cameo in Sharknado: The 4th Awakens in 2016 and even played herself in Killing Hasselhoff the following year.
By then, she had settled into life with NHL star Cale Hulse, whom she married in 2004, raising two kids together. These days, she’s more about health and motherhood than running in slow motion. Swapping the Baywatch beach for Sharknado might be the wildest career upgrade ever.
Pamela Bach’s Cause of Death: For How Long Was ‘Baywatch’ Star Married to David Hasselhoff and Why Did They Split?
12. Donna D’Errico as Donna Marco
Donna D’Errico joined Baywatch in 1996 after making waves as a Playboy centerfold. She admitted the start was intimidating in 2021 (via Fox News)
When I first started, I was really nervous because everyone was a gigantic celebrity and there’s me, brand new and shy.
But the atmosphere turned out to be warm and welcoming. She still looks back fondly at those days.
After leaving the show in 1998, D’Errico built one of the most eclectic résumés of the Baywatch crew. She starred in thrillers like Survive the Game (2021), dabbled in indie films such as Frank and Penelope (2022), and showed up on TV shows like 9-1-1 and Roadies. Off-camera, she ran a day spa, climbed Turkey’s Mount Ararat in search of Noah’s Ark, and even joined OnlyFans decades later, following in Carmen Electra’s footsteps.
Her personal life has been just as eventful. She was married to Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx from 1996 to 2007, sharing daughter Frankie with him, and also has a son, Rhyan, from a previous relationship. From lifeguarding Malibu beaches to looking for Noah’s Ark — talk about range.
13. Jaason Simmons as Logan Fowler
Australian actor Jaason Simmons had just one credit before joining Baywatch in 1994. But his role as Logan Fowler changed everything.
Simmons left Baywatch in 1997 and pursued theater in London before returning to screen projects. He showed up in Sharknado (2013) and battled mutant sea life again in 3-Headed Shark Attack (2015).
Offscreen, Simmons became an outspoken animal activist and publicly came out as gay in 2008.
A post shared by David Chokachi (@therealdavidchokachi)
He’s stayed close to his Baywatch pals, grabbing vegan lunches with David Chokachi and Paul, and dedicating sweet social media posts to David Hasselhoff.
14. Kelly Packard as April Giminski
Kelly Packard was already a familiar face when she joined Baywatch, having done the rounds on The Wonder Years, Blossom, and the teen series California Dreams. She spent four years as April Giminski before trading the Malibu sun for a quieter family life.
After leaving Baywatch in 1999, she picked up TV gigs, including cohosting Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and GSN Live, and voiced characters on The Wild Thornberrys. But her biggest role became life at home. She married physician Darrin Privett. Together, they raised four kids: Aubrey, Dallin, Halle, and Delaney.
In 2014, the family gave reality TV a whirl on Celebrity Wife Swap. She traded lives with actress Tichina Arnold. The strict Mormon household rules — no coffee, tea, alcohol, or too much TV — turned the swap into a culture shock. Imagine trading Malibu lifeguard towers for “no coffee allowed” mornings — that’s some serious sacrifice.
15. Erika Eleniak as Shauni McClain
Erika Eleniak was one of the first faces people came to associate with Baywatch. She stepped into the role of Shauni McClain for three seasons. But by the time she hit the beach, she’d already popped up on screens before. Remember the little girl in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)? That was her.
Her time on Baywatch left her with warm memories. In a 2018 chat with Fox News, she recalled,
It really was just like a big family, honestly. Brothers and sisters… The cast and crew were just really amazing.
After Baywatch, Eleniak built a career on the big screen. We saw her in films like Under Siege and The Beverly Hillbillies. Later, she joined reality TV shows like The Real Gilligan’s Island and Celebrity Fit Club. She also appeared on scripted shows like CSI: Miami, Desperate Housewives, and even launched her own podcast, Spiritual Alchemy With Erika, from 2020 to 2022.
Her personal life had its ups and downs. She was briefly engaged to Baywatch co-star Billy Warlock, had a short marriage with bodybuilder Philip Goglia, and later married Roch Daigle, a key grip she met on set. They welcomed daughter Indyanna in 2006 before divorcing in 2007.
From saving swimmers to podcasting about alchemy, Eleniak’s career path could be its own Baywatch plotline.
That’s the scoop on where the original Baywatch crew ended up. But now we are curious. Who was your go-to favorite back in the day? Let us know in the comments.
