Baywatch: Where Are They Now?

When you think about Baywatch, what’s the very first image that pops into your mind? Most likely, it’s the young cast members in tiny red bathing suits, running in slow-motion along the beach, kickboards in tow. While they might live on in eternal youth in the adoring eyes of fans, a lot of time has passed since the crew had any life-saving to do. With a cast known for their physical perfection and glowing youth, twenty or more years can make a major difference. So what have some of the most beloved cast members been up to all this time? With the new Baywatch movie coming out in late May, it seems like it’s about time to check up on all the old cast members before the new generation emerges. As fun it is to watch The Rock and Zac Efron run around the beach, nothing beats the originals. So we ask, Baywatch: Where Are They Now?

15 Pamela Anderson

One of the most recognizable Baywatch actresses, Pamela Anderson starred as the dedicated lifeguard and sexual icon C.J. Parker from 1992-1997. Anderson was initially attracted to the role because of her shared interest in crystals, meditation, and other forms of New Age thinking. Today, Anderson still has a strong interest in meditation and yoga, and has grown extremely interested in veganism, animal rights, and other activist causes. Since leaving Baywatch, Anderson has campaigned against Kentucky Fried Chicken, seal hunting, animal testing, and more, and is extremely active in the animal-rights organization PETA. She’s even posed for a PETA ad that was banned in Quebec because it was considered too sexist! Aside from her work in animal rights, Anderson has been a spokeswoman for the MAC AIDS Fund and American Liver Foundation, an advocate for the cannabis legalization, and recently starred in an announcement criticizing the lack of regulations on the private mobile transportation industry and how it can lead to sexual assault. Even though she’s definitely still considered a sex icon (at 49 years old!), her fame has allowed her to take action on the variety of causes nearest to her heart as she’s grown older.

14 David Hasselhoff

Not only did Hasselhoff star as lead lifeguard Mitch Buchannon throughout the entire series, but produced the series for the first-run syndication market in 1991. He even invested his own money, which worked out for him, as his contract allowed him royalties from rerun profits – which eventually gave him enough money to buy back the rights to Baywatch from NBC. After Hasselhoff took over, the show skyrocketed into popularity, securing Hasselhoff’s already illustrious career. Since the end of the show, Hasselhoff has become a major media personality, and frequently plays himself in television shows and films rather than fictional characters. “The Hoff” currently holds the Guiness World Record for the most watched man on television, which makes it reasonable that he can really only play himself on screen. In addition to acting and producing, Hasselhoff enjoys singing, and in 2015 recorded a single and music video for the (amazing) short film Kung Fury, which he also performed in.

13 Wendie Malick

If you don’t picture Wendie Malick running along the beach, that’s probably because she never did: Malick appeared as Gayle Buchannon, the disapproving ex-wife of lead lifeguard Mitch Buchannon who spent most of her time in the courtroom instead of the water. Gayle mostly appeared during season one, and in sporadic episodes through 1994. This allowed Malick to work on a lot of different projects during her time on Baywatch that advanced her career. Since ending Baywatch, Malick has appeared on a ton of movies and TV shows, and even worked as a voice actor for a series of animated shows like Jimmy Neutron, Kim Possible, and BoJack Horseman. Most notably, Malick starred as Victoria Chase, a washed-up soap opera star, in the TVLand series Hot in Cleveland alongside Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Betty White. Like Anderson, Malick has dedicated a lot of her time to various organizations, including serving on the board of advocates for Planned Parenthood, board of directors for the Environmental Media Association, and on the advisory board for the Humane Society of the United States.

12 Parker Stevenson

Every teenage girl’s dream, Parker Stevenson’s character Craig Pomeroy was a former lawyer who quit his job to become a full-time lifeguard in Season 1. Initially, he is married to a recurring character named Gina, but it is revealed in season 9 that they have gotten a divorce. After taking a break from Baywatch for the majority of the series, Stevenson returned as a recurring character in seasons 8 and 9. At that point, though, Stevenson’s days as a heartthrob were mostly over. Since the early 2000s, Stevenson has appeared in a series of small films and TV movies, and as a guest role in more popular TV shows like Bull. In addition to his acting, Stevenson has had a longstanding love of photography, and has worked as a serious photographer for many years. You can check out his work on his website ShadowWorks, or follow him on Instagram at @byparkerstevenson.

11 Jeremy Jackson

Jackson portrayed the older version Mitch’s son Hobie from 1991-2000. Jackson is actually the second person to play Hobie, with the previous actor Brandon Call only playing him in Season 1. While on the show, Jackson faced a severe drug addiction which contributed to him leaving Baywatch, as the drugs made him believe he was above it. After being arrested, Jackson went to rehab and claims to be sober since 2000. Since then, Jackson has mainly appeared on talk shows to discuss his role in Baywatch, life in the spotlight, and his road to recovery. However, his problems have not gotten any easier through sobriety: in 2008, a sex tape of him and an adult film star was offered for sale, and in 2015, he was kicked off of Celebrity Big Brother UK for sexually assaulting fellow cast-mate Chloe Goodman. Since then, he has remained outside of public view and has had no television appearances.

10 Alexandra Paul

Alexandra Paul’s character, Stephanie Holden, is most remembered for one of the most tragic scenes of Baywatch, in which she is killed suddenly after a lightning strike. Stephanie had been one of the show’s main characters for years, pursuing a relationship with Mitch which dissolved into a strong friendship and respect. Since she left the show, Paul has maintained her Baywatch-level fitness even past the age of 50, has completed several marathons and Ironman races, and has been a vegan for the past 7 years. In 2015, Paul became a certified health coach and runs her own wellness coaching business. Like many of her Baywatch co-stars, Paul has channeled a lot of her energy in recent years into advocating for animal rights, environmentalism, gay rights, and is a peace activist. She has been arrested for civil disobedience over a dozen times for a variety of reasons, and spent 5 days in jail in 2003. While she generally has stopped acting in lead roles, Paul is very interested in documentaries; she has co-written and co-produced two award-winning documentaries.

9 Gregory Alan Williams

Ironically for a Baywatch character, Williams’ character Garner Ellerbee absolutely hated the water. However, this doesn’t stop him from hanging out with the lifeguards and patrolling the beach! Believe it or not, this was only Williams’ second role, after scoring a role in the 1988 movie Aside the Law. Since Baywatch ended, Williams’ career hasn’t slowed down at all: he has had steady work in film, television, and video games alike. In just the past two years, Williams has held recurring roles in a lot of popular televsion shows, including Greenleaf, Secrets and Lies, Game of Silence, and more. In addition to his acting, Williams enjoys writing, and has authored four books, most recently Heart of aWoman, published in 2009. Most notable, though, is his book about his experiences in the L.A. riots in which he saved the life of a Japanese-American motorcyclists beaten by rioters, and meditates upon racism and the consequences of rage.

8 Erika Eleniak

Believe it or not, Eleniak’s first role was as a small role in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial when she was just 13. Just seven years later, she scored the role of rookie lifeguard Shauni McClain, who served as the female lead from seasons 1-3. However, after disagreeing with the direction the show was taking, she left the show after the second episode of season 3. Since then, she’s appeared in a series of independent TV movies as well as in shows like Desperate Housewives. During this time, Eleniak struggled with issues with her weight, and had to be hospitalized at one point. Though she hasn’t appeared in a movie since 2012, make sure to look out for Eleniak in 2017: her new film, Marilyn Monroe Back?, is currently in pre-production! In the movie, Eleniak portrays Monroe, who is potentially reincarnated into a popular Canadian singer who shares her distinctive characteristics.

7 Billy Warlock

It’s not an accident Billy Warlock and Erika Eleniak are next to each other on this list: the pair’s on-screen romance transcended to real life, and they were even engaged for a short period of time. Warlock’s character Eddie Kramer joined the lifeguard crew as a teenager with a complicated past that leads to troublemaking and homelessness. However, he eventually forms a serious relationship with Shauni, and the two marry and move to Australia as both actors left the show at the same time. It seems like Warlock has a thing for actresses: before that, he was married to soap-opera actress Marcy Walker, and is currently married to Days of Our Lives and As the World Turns co-star Julie Pinson. After leaving Baywatch, Warlock mainly worked on soap operas in the early 2000s, but after his two-month stint on One Life to Live in 2010, he has not appeared in any television shows or movies.

6 Nicole Eggert

Eggert’s career started young: after winning the Miss Universe pageant in the petite division at the age of 5, Eggert was offered a role in a commercial. From there, Eggert had recurring roles in various television shows, most famously Charles in Charge, before landing the role as Summer Quinn on seasons 3 and 4 of Baywatch. Summer was the romantic interest of Hobie, and the youngest member of the lifeguard team. Since leaving the show in 1994, Eggert appeared in various independent films, and most recently on numerous Hallmark Christmas television movies. In 2013, she was added to the cast of ABC’s Splash, a celebrity diving competition, but was injured during the taping of an episode. Outside of acting, Eggert began a new career as an ice-cream truck driver and owner in 2014. She enjoys running the business with her family, and changing up the stereotypical ice-cream man.

5 David Charvet

Born in France, Charvet got his big break playing Matt Brody in season 3 of Baywatch. After leaving the series, Charvet appeared on Melrose Place before returning to his native France. Soon upon return, he had a 5-album contract with Universal Music Group France. Over the next seven years, he released three bilingual albums that reached massive success: his debut single, “Should I Leave” hit #3 in France, and charted in Belgium and Sweden as well. Charvet continued to write songs while touring Europe and Asia, and even recorded duets with artists like Bryan Adams and Seal. This past January, Charvet was heavily criticized for his behavior on The Celebrity Apprentice. When his wife and Apprentice contestant, Brooke Burke, suggested that he sit on the back of her motorcycle for a feminist-themed ad campaign for the show, Charvet flipped out, saying he’d appear too wimpy. Brooke’s team leader was eliminated, likely due to Charvet’s behavior, as the team had to go with another campaign idea.

4 Yasmine Bleeth

Bleeth has never known a life outside of the spotlight: her first known acting role was for a commercial at the age of only 10 months, and scored her first movie at the age of 10 in Hey, Babe! While she continued acting throughout her teens, she only received widespread attention through her role as Stephanie’s younger sister Caroline. During her time on Baywatch, Bleeth was offered various roles in television and film, often worked as a model, and was named one of FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World from 1996-2001. Unfortunately, all of this media frenzy likely led to a drug addiction, which she went to rehab for in 2000. Over the next three years, she struggled to remain sober: at one point, she was caught driving with drugs under the influence, and was sentenced to two years probation and 100 community service hours. Since then, she’s stayed out of the spotlight, living with her husband, whom she married in 2002.

3 David Chokachi

Better known as lifeguard Cody Madison, Chokachi served as the lead male actor of Baywatch from 1995-1999, and became a huge teen idol for girls across America. He was even chosen as one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” in 1997. However, after Baywatch, Chokachi has generally stayed out of the spotlight, regularly appearing in made-for TV films as well as a few television series throughout the early 2000s. The last time Chokachi appeared in the news was an interview with E! News in February 2016, in which he discusses Zac Efron’s struggles with swimming in the ocean. However, he explains that it’s hard for anyone on Baywatch to learn to swim, as they have to look like professional lifeguards while swimming in the ocean. And if you’ve ever gone swimming in the ocean, you’d understand how ugly and terrible you look almost immediately after stepping in. Aside from the interview, Chokachi has stayed out of the limelight, likely to spend time with his young family.

2 Gena Lee Nolin

Gena Lee Nolin portrayed Baywatch‘s resident bad girl Neely Capshaw from seasons 6-8. Neely is one of the only characters to be portrayed by multiple actresses, with two other women playing her throughout the course of the series. During Nolin’s time playing Neely, the character has a brief moment of goodness in which she earned her lifeguard recertification after saving the life of an elderly heart attack victim. After that, she has a romantic relationship with Mitch, resulting in their marriage, before sadly returning to her conniving ways. In real life, Nolin has more of a constant good-girl persona. Married to former NHL hockey player Cale Hulse, Nolin has three children and has a relatively normal life. In the late 2000’s, Nolin was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a thyroid condition marked by the excess of thyroid hormones. Now, she actively campaigns for thyroid checkups and blood tests, and even wrote a book about her disease. The book, called Beautiful Inside & Out – Conquering thyroid disease with a Healthy, Happy, “Thyroid Sexy” Life, reached #1 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s Top 5 Health Books lists.

1 Michael Bergin

One of the few characters to survive into the Hawaii series, Bergin’s character J.D. faced a tragic storyline riddled with mental health issues: a civilian got crushed in a failed pier rescue mission by J.D., resulting in them dying in his arms. Luckily, Bergin’s real life has never been tragic. Aside from Baywatch, he is most-known for his racy black-and-white underwear campaign for Calvin Klein, following in the footsteps of fellow star Mark Wahlberg. It was through Calvin Klein that he met publicist Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who later married John F. Kennedy, Jr. In the late 1990s, he entered in a serious romantic relationship with her, despite the fact that she was already dating Kennedy. In his 2004 book, The Other Man, Bergin claims to have been sexually involved with Bessette-Kennedy throughout her marriage. On the fifth anniversary of Bessette-Kennedy’s death in a plane crash, Bergin was pulled over for driving under the influence; now, he works as a spokesperson for D.A.R.E. and works as a real estate agent in Beverly Hills.

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The Baywatch reboot will arrive in theaters on May 26, 2017.