At 6'4", 185 lbs., David Hasselhoff, a handsome blue/green-eyed Baltimore, Maryland native, is one of the most recognized faces on television throughout the world.
Hasselhoff starred as "Snapper Foster" on CBS's "The Young And The Restless" for six years, where he became the most watched TV-doctor on all three networks combined.
Since that time, he has climbed many run-s in his successful career. Hasselhoff starred for four years as "Michael Knight" in NBC's hit series "Knight Rider," winning a "People's Choice Award" for most popular actor. "Knight Rider" is currently running in 72 countries where it has been number one in the ratings and enjoys a tremendous syndication run in more than 100 markets here in the United States. Although it has been in syndication for six years, it still ranks as the number one show with the teen audience.
In 1984, he starred in "The Cartier Affair" with Joan Collins for NBC-TV where he won raves from the critics and viewers. That same year, NBC cast him in "Terror On London Bridge," a movie-of-the-week that showed an entirely different aspect of this multi-talented actor.
In 1988 Hasselhoff was the lead guest star in NBC-TV's "Perry Mason" movie-of-the-week (MOW). Shot on location in Denver, Colorado, it was the number one MOW that week in the ratings and the highest rated MOW for the year.
Hasselhoff, a musical comedy performer as a child, had a dream to be a pop singing star. His dream came true in 1988 when he crossed paths with Jack White, the noted German composer and record producer.
After an in-depth search for the right song for Hasselhoff, White came up with "Looking For Freedom," a song he felt would put Hasselhoff on the map as a sin-er. He was right. No sooner was the song released when it raced to number one on the German charts and remained in that top spot for eight consecutive weeks.
The album, "Looking For Freedom," hit the top of the German charts and stayed there for months. It went gold and triple platinum in the international marketplace. "Freedom" went on to become Germany's number one-selling album of the year (Madonna's album was runner up), and Hasselhoff was awarded "Most Popular and Best Selling Artist of the Year" in Germany, an accomplishment he is very proud of.
This honor was followed up by a 20 city "standing room only" tour, with Hasselhoff playing to well over 250,000 adoring European fans.
"But the most thrilling performances of my entire career came when I was invited to perform "Freedom" on the Berlin Wall New Year's Eve 1989," said Hasselhoff. "It was the first time Germany had been unified, and close to a million East and West German fans stood together in the freezing cold at midnight watching me perform. I was overcome with emotion. It was both awesome and humbling, at the same time."
Back in the U.S., COSMOPOLITAN'S Editor Helen Gurly Brown was approaching her magazine's 25th anniversary issue, in May 1990. While watching television one night she saw the handsome Hasselhoff and said, "That's the star I want for my 25th Anniversary issue." She soon became aware of David's worldwide notoriety as a singer and actor, and knew she had made a wise decision. That issue broke all records in sales for COSMOPOLITAN.
Another of Hasselhoff s dreams was to see a "Knight Rider" MOW produced and released theatrically worldwide. That dream also came true when NBC aired the MOW, "Knight Rider 2000," during sweeps week in May 1991. It was one of the highest rated MOW's of the year.
Hasselhoff continues to star as chief lifeguard, "Mitch Buchannon," in the hit TV series "Baywatch." He is also one of the show's executive producers. "Baywatch" has just
started its fifth year of production and is the number one American TV import overseas. In 1993, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY proclaimed it as "The Most Popular Show in the World!" Domestically the show continues to enjoy very impressive ratings and is spawning a spinoff that Hasselhoff will also executive produce and star in, titled "Baywatch Nights."
Hasselhoff recently starred in a four-hour mini-series for Motion Picture Corporation "The Ring Of The Musketeers" -- in which he plays John Smith, a modern-day crime fighting musketeer. "The Ring Of The Musketeers" is now available on video in the United States.
After signing a multi-million dollar deal with BMG/Ariola for a worldwide recording contract in 1993, Hasselhoff began working with Grammy-winning engineer/producer Bruce Swedien to produce his fifth album, "You Are Everything," which was released in November 1993 and quickly went gold in Austria and Switzerland. His first single released in England, "If I Could Only Say Goodbye," went immediately to #35 following a tremendous 'live' appearance by Hasselhoff on the highest rated music show in England, "Top Of The Pops." Hasselhoff continues to tour in Europe to sell-out crowds. To sum up his popularity in Europe, two German newspapers ran front page banner headlines: one said, "Hasselhoff, Not Since Elvis!," while the other proclaimed, "Hasselhoff, Not Since The Beatles." Hasselhoff is currently in the studio producing his sixth album (as yet untitled) which will be released in Europe in the Fall of 1994.
Following a successful European tour in the Spring of 1994, Hasselhoff flew straight to Vancouver, British Columbia from Austria (after his last concert) to start work on a two-hour MOW for FOX entitled "Avalanche," co-starring Michael Gross. "Avalanche," which is scheduled to air in October 1994, features Hasselhoff in the role of "a bad boy" -- one completely different than his real life persona.
He spends many hours visiting children's hospitals throughout the world. His charity, "Race For Life," works with the terminally ill and handicapped children in America. He also grants wishes to terminally ill children via the "Make A Wish" and "Starlight" foundations. As Hasselhoff says, "God has given me so much, I have to give back."
Hasselhoff had a first this year, doing a "live" Pay-Per-View Special entitled "David Hasselhoff and his Baywatch Friends" at Trump Castle, Atlantic City. The special, which premiered his acclaimed singing talents to the American public, aired "live" on Friday, June 17 -- unfortunately competing against a white Ford Bronco in the ratings race.
And how does this busy, entrepreneurial man relax? At home with his beautiful wife, actress Pamela Bach, their precious four-year-old daughter, Taylor Ann, and their two-year-old daughter, Hayley Amber.
ALEXANDRA PAUL as
LT. STEPHANIE HOLDEN
Alexandra Paul is an accomplished motion picture and television actress, highly educated with a deep commitment to social activism. She plays Lieutenant Stephanie Holden on "Baywatch," the supervisor assigned to Will Rogers lifeguard headquarters.
She made her debut on national television in a leading role in one of the highest rated television movies of the 1980's, "Paper Dolls," on ABC. She has since starred in a number of feature films and movies for television including "The Sailor's Tattoo," "The Paper Boy," "Death Train" with Pierce Brosnan, "Prey of the Chameleon," "Dragnet," "Eight Million Ways To Die," "American Flyer," "Christine" and "Perry Mason."
Paul grew up in the countryside of New England with her twin sister, Caroline, and her younger brother, Jonathan. Her childhood was filled with horseback riding, swimming, reading and the study of languages -- as a result, Paul speaks fluent French. Her concern for social issues developed while attending Gorton, a boarding school in Massachusetts, where she became president of the energy committee, campaigned for independent 1980 presidential candidate John Anderson, led boycotts against socially irresponsible corporations and chose to become a vegetarian. Paul landed her first professional modeling job at sixteen and a year later graduated with honors from Gorton.
She is an accomplished swimmer who maintains a serious workout regimen and is also certified as an emergency medical technician. Paul's involvement in political and social issues continues. She traveled to South Africa before its first multi-racial elections with a delegation to promote voter education and participation. She recycles, owns an electric car and will not wear cosmetics that have been tested on animals. She has developed a program to educate high school students on the human overpopulation issue and speaks regularly throughout the public school system. Deeply concerned about the possibility of nuclear war, she walked for five weeks on the Great Peace March in 1986.
PAMELA ANDERSON as
C.J. PARKER
Talented and vivacious Pamela Anderson has begun to establish herself as one of the most popular personalities with international film and television audiences.
A native of Canada, Anderson was born on Vancouver Island, and later moved to the city of Vancouver. It was while she attended a British Columbia Lions football game that Anderson was "discovered" in a most unusual way. Dressed in a Labatt's Beer T-shirt, her image was transmitted on the stadium's wide screen. The fans cheered the beautiful girl, and she was brought down to the 50-yard line and introduced to the appreciative crowd.
As a result, she was signed to a commercial contract with Labatt's and became the company's "Blue Zone" girl. The campaign was so popular that other commercials and advertising assignments for Anderson soon followed.
Within a time span of only three months, she appeared in several Canadian-based television series, including "Top of the Hill," and had started down the road to an exciting acting career.
Anderson moved to Los Angeles where she would ultimately spend two seasons in the top-ten ABC Television hit series "Home Improvement" as Lisa, the Tool Time Girl and would capture the attention and affection of viewing audiences nationwide.
At the same time, Anderson was cast as C.J. Parker on the internationally successful series "Baywatch," but because of the impossible schedule of working on two hit shows, she eventually left "Home Improvement" and remained full-time on "Baywatch." She now stars on one of the most phenomenally popular television programs of all time, which is seen in 140 countries worldwide.
Recently, Anderson has made the transition into the feature film arena, completing her first picture, "Snapdragon," an erotic thriller opposite Steven Bauer for Prism Entertainment. She has also filmed the action-adventure-comedy, "Good Cop, Bad Cop," co-starring Robert Hayes and David Keith for AIP.
Anderson is featured in the CBS movie-of-the-week, "Deader Than Ever," a hip and updated-Mike Hammer mystery, co-starring Rob Estes.
Recently Anderson shot the television pilot "Eden Quest," on location in Tahiti. The exciting show, which she hosted, is a cutting-edge behind-the-scenes look at men and women participating in vigorous sporting activities, exciting photo shoots and contemporary fashion and beauty displays.
Anderson lives in Southern California with her beloved golden retriever, Stu.
DAVID CHARVET as
MATT BRODY
David Charvet is in his third season on "Baywatch," starring as Matt Brody, a young man who finds self-worth through the responsibility of being a lifeguard. An intensely motivated and focused actor, Charvet strives to make his character as realistic as possible so that young viewers can learn from him. He states, "If we as actors are looked up to as stars, then I believe we should use our profession to serve as positive role models for people." "Baywatch" is a first-run syndicated series with a weekly viewership of nearly one billion worldwide.
In addition to his work on "Baywatch," David recently made a guest appearance on CBS-TV's "Harts of the West" and is in the process of preparing for roles in two upcoming feature films, which he plans to shoot simultaneously with "Baywatch."
Born in Lyon, France in 1972, Charvet and his family moved to New York in 1981, then to Los Angeles in 1982. David was an ambitious and bright student who excelled in sports and developed a keen interest in drama. In high school, he channeled his cultural diversity into his schoolwork, forsaking the party scene with a commitment to the study of theatre and acting. He performed in school productions and soon after signed with Elite Model Management. By age 18, Charvet had landed national print campaign ads for Bugle Boy casual wear, Levi's. Miller's Outpost, and Coca-Cola.
Realizing that he wanted to segue into acting, Charvet invested his commercial earnings into professional training with such renowned acting teachers as Roy London, Katherine Billings, Sam Chrisinsen, Peter Frisch and Larry Moss, putting in a minimum of 25 hours per week.
A true role model for young adults, Charvet is proud to admit that he has never used alcohol, drums or cigarettes. An important goal for him is to be able to use his high profile as an actor to speak out to youths against substance abuse. Charvet often visits local schools taping videos and giving motivational talks to kids about how they can stay away from addictive substances and/or deal with family members who are addicts. Charvet campaigns on behalf of quality education for young people and recently lent his support to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. He says, "If I can help make a difference with Just a few people or even one person, it's worth it to me."
Charvet is an avid sports enthusiast who hopes to do some race car driving in the near future. He says, "When I really got serious with my acting studies, I no longer had any desire to be out in the party scene, I basically channel my energies, getting a high off of going out with friends to movies, dancing, or playing sports."
YASMINE BLEETH as
CAROLINE HOLDEN
Yasmine Bleeth, one of the most popular actresses of daytime drama, joins the cast of the highly rated one-hour drama "Baywatch" in the role of Caroline Holden, the athletic and impressionable younger sister of Lt. Stephanie Holden (Alexandra Paul). Her character is among new recruits in the Baywatch rookie lifeguard program, vying for a chance to Join the elite corps of Southern California lifeguards central to the program's storyline.
Bleeth began her career at the young age of 6 months, when she was featured as the Johnson & Johnson Baby. At age six, she appeared in a Max Factor campaign, along with Cristina Ferrare. Her work in this campaign caught the eye of fashion photographer, Francesco Scavullo, who subsequently included her in his self-entitled book "Scavullo's Women." At the age of 12, Bleeth was cast opposite Buddy Hackett in the feature film "Hey Babe."
Bilingual Bleeth attended United Nations International School (UNIS) in New York City, where she continued modeling and acting. Bleeth, then 16, won the role of Ryan Fenelli and the hearts of millions on the ABC soap opera "Ryan's Hope." Staying within the ABC family, she moved over to the highly acclaimed soap opera "One Life To Live" in 1991 where she created the role as the sultry, misunderstood Lee Anne Demerest.
Her feature films include the upcoming sci-fi thriller, "The Force," (Image Productions) directed by Pierre David, whose directorial credits include the successful "Internal Affairs." "The Force" casts Bleeth opposite Jason Gedrick. In her next role Bleeth appears in "Ghosts May Kiss" (Cafe Productions) with Flea, bassist for alternative rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers. This romantic fairy tale, which examines the tragedy of lost love, features Bleeth as Lavinia, lover of the ghost Cassanova, who is stuck in a child's pop-up book from the 17th century. "Ghosts May Kiss" is the result of a collaboration between director Mauro Borrelli, winner of the 1993 Venice Film Festival, and producer Jeff Kirshbaum.
Bleeth made her stage debut in the off-Broadway production of the one act plays "Welcome to My Life" and "Looking for It."
Bleeth currently resides in Los Angeles.
JAASON SIMMONS as
LOGAN FOWLER
Jaason Simmons is a ruggedly handsome 24-year-old actor who has joined the "Baywatch" cast in the role of Logan Fowler, a transplanted and seasoned Australian lifeguard who must endure the basic training of the Baywatch rookie school before qualifying to practice lifesaving on the Southern California beaches.
Logan's cocky attitude and Australian machismo put him at odds with his -American male counterparts, while his good looks and his way with the ladies spark both interest and jealousies from the opposite sex.
Since signing on with "Baywatch," Jaason has put himself into the iron hands of physical trainer Michael Newman, a real-life L.A. County Lifeguard and "Baywatch" regular. Most of his available time is split between the gym and the pool, pumping iron and grinding out laps in preparation for the countless hours he'll spend in the ocean throughout the "Baywatch" season.
Jaason was born in Tasmania, a small island off the coast of Australia. By ace seven, he had made up his mind to become an actor, his sole inspiration being fellow Tasmanian and American movie legend Erroll Flynn.
In 1991, he moved to Los Angeles and quickly learned the true meaning of the words starving actor." He worked odd jobs to support his acting lessons and signed on with manager Pat Reeves who quickly became instrumental to his career development.
While on a break from acting class, Jaason returned for a visit with his family and subsequently landed the role of heartthrob Harry Tate on the popular Australian series "Paradise Beach."
His newly acquired celebrity status led to a role in his first feature, a black and white drama called "Page 73," that marked the directorial debut of the celebrated Australian cinematographer Jeff Darling.
Simmons' leisure hours find him caring for his pet iguana, Aeon Flux, enjoying, vampire movies and taking hikes.
JEREMY JACKSON as
HOBIE BUCHANNON
Jeremy Jackson, who plays the role of David Hasselhoff s son, Hobie, on the series "Baywatch," is rapidly becoming one of television's hottest young stars. A bright and energetic native of Southern California, Jeremy remains refreshingly unaffected by his increasing, popularity and enjoys a healthy mix of sports and hobbles with his family and longtime friends.
While Jeremy's fan mail from U.S. viewers of the highly rated program is voluminous, the youngster is also a superstar overseas. At 13 years old, Jeremy recorded his first album for David Hasselhoff s record label, Hassechits. He recently returned from touring in Europe, where he opened for David's concerts in four major cities. Also, in 1992 on a trip to England where "Baywatch" is one of the biggest hits in T.V. history, Jeremy was literally mobbed by adoring teen fans clamoring for his autograph while en route to pick up a coveted SOS award as Best Newcomer, England's equivalent of the People's Choice Award. While on hiatus from "Baywatch," Jeremy found the time to make a guest appearance on the Ed Asner television series, "Thunder Alley."
Working on "Baywatch" is a dream-come-true for Jeremy, who resides just a few blocks from the ocean. He's a strong swimmer and enjoys surfing, roller-hockey, singing and dancing.
Jeremy has been acting since age seven. His first paying job was in a television commercial for Mattel which was followed by a seven-episode run on the daytime drama "Santa Barbara." He also starred in the film "The Bulkin Trail," with David Hasselhoff, recently seen on the Family Channel.
He insists that his friends could care less about his fame but notes that they do introduce him to strangers as "our buddy from 'Baywatch'..." Jeremy's biggest fan is his younger sister, Taylor.
GREGORY ALAN-WILLIAMS as
POLICE SGT. GARNER ELLERBEE
Emmy Award-winning actor and author Gregory Alan-Williams plays Police Sergeant Garner Ellerbee on "Baywatch." Alan-Williams kicked off 1994 with the national Public Television broadcast of his solo performance in the turn-of-the-century play, "The Life And Times Of Deacon A.L. Wiley." February 1st marked the release of his new book, "A Gathering Of Heroes . . . Reflections on Rage and Responsibility" -- a work which the KIRKUS REVIEW calls -- "A moving illumination of the meaning of brotherhood, it deserves to sell and sell and sell." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY wrote "...Alan-Williams' small but intense book is inspirational in the best sense of that abused word."
Alan-Williams' book, "A Gathering Of Heroes ... Reflections on Rage and Responsibility," and his thought provoking conversations with young people and parents have won him considerable and well deserved media attention including an interview with the "Today Show's" Katie Couric, live from Washington D.C.-, a front page LOS ANGELES TIMES feature article; and a moving interview on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" with host Terri Gross.
During a ten-week book tour Alan-Williams traveled more than 40,000 miles visiting bookstores, schools, community groups and performing "Wiley" live.
In 1994, at the request of "L.A. Law" producer Mark Tinker, Gregory took a break from the road to quest star in an episode of the long-running series. With that work well done, Alan-Williams flew to Boston to be a featured speaker and panelist for a National Conference on Justice and Human Rights at Harvard.
Alan Williams has spent much of his time away from the glitz and fantasy of Hollywood and has found his way into the often harsh realities of classrooms across the nation. His conversations with middle school and high school students center primarily on the important issues of violence and intolerance. According to Alan Williams, "Often, when I walk into a classroom or school auditorium, student whispers spread like wildfire, "It's the man from "Baywatch!"' Soon, however, the kids and I are talking about strategies for personal survival and success, and our individual responsibility to our communities. Clearly, being "...the man from "Baywatch"' creates firm and wonderful common ground that gives me credibility with the students and subsequently opens the door to meaningful life affirming dialogue.
