Unlike many actors, Jose Solano wasn’t intent on becoming an actor as a kid. He joined the Navy after graduating high school and landed on “Baywatch” only a few years later at the age of 25. He played the role of Manny Gutierrez and made history as the first Hispanic regular on the show.
Gutierrez was one of the youngest characters on the lifeguard team, but by no means less professional. Mitch Buchannon saw the strength and potential in him, and Gutierrez did not let him down.
Jaason Simmons Then
With the look of a classic Australian surfer dude, it would be hard to imagine Jaason Simmons doing anything that's not beach-related, which is how the first years of his career really looked. When he was 23, Simmons started acting on the Australian show "Paradise Beach". He was cast as Logan Fowler on "Baywatch" the following year.
Much like Tasmania-Born Simmons, his character was also from Tasmania. Fowler’s character was known to have a big ego, which often resulted in him arguing with his fellow-lifeguards and managers.
Jaason Simmons Today
After leaving "Baywatch" in 1997, Simmons moved London and went on to appear in theater and in independent films. He was seen acting in movies like "The Devil’s Tattoo", "Bloody Mary", "Frankenstein & the Werewolf Reborn!", "Mad Cowgirl", and more.
Simmons came out of the closet in 2008. He is in a relationship with Irish actor John O'Callaghan, and the two were featured in New Idea Magazine's March issue of the same year.
José Solano Today
Gutierrez suffered a life-threatening injury, which left him wheelchair-bound throughout a substantial part of his screen time. Solano left the show in 1999 and started splitting his time between acting and production managing.
Since leaving "Baywatch", Solano has been more involved in Spanish-speaking productions, mainly telenovelas, such as "Amor en custodia" and "Miranda de mujer: en regreso".
Marliece Andrada Then
Marliece Andrada moved to LA after graduating from college to pursue an acting career. But acting didn't come right away. She started out as a "Raiderette" — a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders — in 1995. After doing that for one season, Andrada got her first acting job on the HBO show "Arli$$".
She initially cast as an extra on the show, but quickly leveled up to a speaking part. She got her big break when she joined season 8 of "Baywatch".