“The Hoff,” one of the most famous people to have been on the show, became one of the most recognized people in the world. Given that the show was broadcast in 140 countries to a total of billion viewers, David Hasselhoff actually held the Guinness World Record for the most-watched man on television!
He started his acting career playing Dr. “Snapper” Foster on “The Young and the Restless” for a total of seven years. He was also able to show off his vocal cords in the space opera Starcrash (1978). His first claim to fame, however, was when he played Michael Knight in NBC’s hit series “Knight Rider”.
Erika Eleniak Then
When Erika Eleniak was 19, she appeared in a Playboy magazine, but she didn't delay on modeling and used that recognition to transition into television. She played Stephanie Curtis, Charles's girlfriend in "Charles in Charge" before coming on "Baywatch" later that year.
Eleniak was cast as Shauni McClain, a "Baywatch" female lead. She played the role for the first two seasons of the show and left at the beginning of season three.
Erika Eleniak Today
"Baywatch" was a great springboard for Eleniak's acting career. She went on to participate in dozens of other acting projects. You may remember seeing her in "Dracula 3000", "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", "Absolute Zero", or "Desperate Housewives".
Today, Eleniak still acts wherever she can in television and movies. She will also play the role of Marylin Monroe in the upcoming feature "Marilyn Monroe Back?". She currently lives in Calgary with Roch Daigle, her partner and the father of her daughter Indyanna.
David Hasselhoff Today
While the Hoff has had many iconic roles over the years of his career, Mitch Buchannon on "Baywatch" is definitely the most famous one. IT probably has something to do with the fact that he played it throughout the duration of the entire show. That is 11 years and 219 episodes (not including the first season of "Baywatch: Hawaii").
Hasselhoff's great ability to laugh at himself has brought on a number of on-screen appearances that involved him parodying himself. Two of the most memorable ones are on "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story", and "SpongeBob SquarePants Movie". He even went to greater lengths with hosting the 2010 "Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff" — a show that involved his friends and castmates gathering to tell jokes about him. What a trooper!
Brande Roderick Then
Before coming on "Baywatch", Roderick modeled a little and her acting credits included small roles that may have paid a bill or two but didn't make her famous. 2000 was a big year for Roderick. That was the year she joined "Baywatch" as Leigh Dryer and appeared in Playboy Magazine for the first time.
Her "Baywatch" stint was only for the final season, but fans liked her a lot, and so she came back for "Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding", the spinoff movie.