Inside Insane 'Baywatch' Secrets: 'Personal Fluffing, Playboy Talent Trawls, Pamela Anderson's VERY Strict Kissing Rule… and CRYSTAL METH on Set!
Baywatch became a global hit thanks to its glamorous castmembers wearing iconic red skimpy swimwear.
Sept. 19 2024, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
A new Baywatch documentary has exposed the secrets of the iconic show, including bosses trawling through Playboy magazines to find new busty lifeguards.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Disney Plus mini-series After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun will also expose the cast's drug taking, a shock A-list snub and how the show's iconic skimpy swimsuits were so small, some stars refused to wear them.
The new documentary is being streamed on Disney+.
The show's biggest name, Pamela Anderson, who played blonde bombshell C.J. Parker, was married to Mötley Crüe rocker Tommy Lee during the height of Baywatch's popularity and it was revealed the couple's infamous sex tape – stolen from their Malibu home then leaked – boosted ratings.
Co-creator and producer Michael Berk said: "When Pam's sex tape came out, the studio said, 'Look, write her out of a couple of episodes, we've got to figure out what we'll do with this, this is a disaster.
"The next episode that aired, it shot up in the ratings. It got like twice the ratings."
Baywatch favourites reveal secet behind-the-scenes details about the hit show.
The documentary revealed Anderson first met Baywatch bosses through Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.
They asked her to audition 12 times before the model, who first posed for Playboy in 1989, agreed to join.
Casting agents would often trawl through X-rated magazines to find new female talent and they hit the jackpot with Anderson, who helped turn the show into a global hit.
However, having her husband on set did bring its own problems, as the jealous rocker could not stand his wife's on-screen romances.
Pamela Anderson was the biggest star to come out of Baywatch and her relationship with then husband Tommy Lee caused issues on set.
Co-creator Michael Bergin said: "Pammie came in one day and said 'please rewrite this scene where I have to kiss David Chokachi'.
"'Tommy's just feeling really insecure right now. It's not a good time and don't make me kiss David Chokachi.'"
Bergin went on to reveal how the rocker once "trashed" Anderson's trailer when he arrived and she wasn't there – because she was filming a scene with Chokachi, now 56, who played hunky lifeguard Cody Madison.
David Chokachi played Cody Madison and his on-screen relationship with Anderson's character annoyed Tommy Lee.
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Chokachi said in the doc: "Tommy Lee took our scenes when we were girlfriend boyfriend on the show at face value.
"He got really upset. I felt bad for her because she was under a lot of pressure."
The skimpy bathing suits Anderson and other female cast members had to wear were also synonymous with Baywatch.
David Charvet starred alongside Pamela Anderson who Baywatch bosses spotted in Playboy magazine.
And according to actress Kelly Packard, who played April Giminski, the swim suits got smaller with every series.
She said: "Over the years, they went higher and higher and higher and it was ridiculous. You couldn't even function in it."
Angelica Bridges, who starred as Taylor Walsh, added: "I remember looking at it, going ‘you want me to wear this? What?!'"
The male swimwear was equally skimpy, forcing some cast members do their own "fluffing" to avoid "shrinkage" on screen after walking out of cold waters.
The iconic red Baywatch swimsuits shrunk with each season according to castmembers.
Drug use was also a problem on Baywatch, namely with actor Jeremy Jackson (David Hasselhoff's on-screen son Hobie Buchanan) who revealed in the doc he was on crystal meth during his final season.
He said: "I remember David saying 'Are you smoking pot or something?'
"And I was like, Jesus, they think I'm smoking pot? I could never tell them the truth. What would they think?"
He added: "When you haven't slept for five days and you've been smoking crystal meth, having somebody look you in the eyes and say 'Dude, are you okay?' is like the worst thing that can happen."
Jeremy Jackson struggled with drug issues towards the end of his strint on Baywatch.
Jackson managed to pip a future Hollywood A-lister to the role of Hobie as a 15-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio was initially the favorite to take it on.
But Hasselhoff put his foot down, believing he would look older having DiCaprio as his son and instead opted for Jackson, who was five years younger.
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