Summer is upon us and the ultimate summer movie, Baywatch, opens this Memorial Day weekend, reminding most Americans that it’s time to get in shape for the beach. As someone who starred for 5 seasons in the 1990s in the television series version of Baywatch, I know something about getting in bathing suit shape. Not only did we actors have to be in a bathing suit every day, but since it was the most popular series in the world at the time and the first truly international TV show, airing in 148 countries and on every continent except Antartica, up to 1.1 billion people were watching us each week. So yes, we had just a little pressure to get, and stay, in bathing suit shape. Besides the normal expectations of learning lines and long hours on the set, we each I had to make sure we maintained our weight. It was, in fact, in all our contracts (both actors and actresses) that we could not gain more than 5 lbs.
I am now a health coach, helping people reach their health and fitness goals, and I learned a lot about how to stay active and healthy during my years in front of the camera, especially filming Baywatch.
For most people, bathing suits expose our biggest insecurities – Do I look OK? Will I be liked? Am I enough? Most of us dread even trying on swimwear in the privacy of the store’s changing room. I had to get over all that pretty quickly, since wearing a bathing suit was now a big part of my job.
I honed very good habits that helped me stay fit over the course of the 4 years I was on the show, and for the 2 decades that have followed. And I learned from my fellow castmates, as well.
The Two Priorities: Diet & Exercise!
Because I don't like to work out in the evenings, I did an hour of cardio – usually the stationary bike - before my call time. That meant my alarm went off between 3:30am and 4:30am on workdays, as we started work as soon as the sun came up. We wrapped when the sun went down since most of our scenes were outdoors, and I never went out to socialize on a weeknight so I could get my lines down for the following day and get enough sleep to get up early. David Hasselhoff, who was also very disciplined about working out even with a crazy travel schedule which included overseas concerts on weekends, exercised daily in his home gym before starting work and we would compare notes. Michael Bergin, the former Calvin Klein underwear model cast as J.D. Darius in 88 episodes of Baywatch and Baywatch Hawaii, says, “I lifted weights at the gym and ran a few days a week. I also swam and played sports like basketball and paddle tennis to stay in shape”. He admits he had a “a monstrous appetite, so I really had to watch want I ate. But as long as I was keeping up with the workouts, I was able to cheat a little.” He obviously didn't cheat much judging from his amazing abs – not a mere 6 pack, but a 10 pack!
Diet is crucial to maintaining weight. Although I did eat a large chocolate chip muffin as I sat in the makeup chair each morning, I also packed my own healthy snacks to help me avoid craft service (the decadent snack area on every Hollywood set) the rest of the day. I made sure not to have a big lunch so my tummy didn't stick out too much for the afternoon scenes. And because I went home for dinner, I didn't add extra calories at restaurants. I never went hungry, but I certainly kept a constant eye on what I ate.
After my first season, I added light weightlifting a few nights a week to my regimen and you can see on those episodes that my body is leaner and more defined. David Hasselhoff brought a bench and some weights to the set and the guys would sometimes lift at lunch, protected from the inquisitive eyes of tourists by our trailers, which for privacy were arranged in a circle.
Of course, sometimes Life does get in the way – because of a painful breakup with a longtime boyfriend before my fourth season, I lost quite a bit of weight. And there were days when I “felt fat” - all the actresses on our set had days like that, because that’s just human. I occasionally heard an actor mention he needed to get back into the gym because he wanted to be bigger. Whatever it is, everyone has their body insecurities, even those on People magazine’s “Most Beautiful People” list.
Where Are We Now?
Nowadays, most of 40 actors who had regular roles over the 12 seasons of Baywatch are still fit and healthy in their 40s and 50s. The internet is rife with photos of Hasselhoff in red trunks looking ripped and vital at age 64. He is still exercising regularly despite a hectic schedule. Michael Bergin, who at 48 now has two teenagers and is a busy realtor selling million dollars homes all over LA, says he doesn't have a 10 pack anymore, but I’ve seen him recently and there’s a 4 pack there! Michael plays basketball once a week, goes to the gym 4 times a week to lift weights for 45 minutes, and runs outside when his knees allow it. “I’m very good at staying away from sweets”, he says.
The regimen I kept during the 12 hour days on the Baywatch set remains largely the same – I get up very early to exercise even when it’s hard, knowing that my day goes better when I do. The chocolate chip muffin is gone, replaced by fruit, oatmeal and nut butter. I still bring my own snacks to work, and I advise my clients to do the same. I remind my clients that it takes consistency & mindfulness to get the body you want. Everyone has to work at it, even those actors on Baywatch.
Alexandra Paul played Lt Stephanie Holden on the Baywatch TV series 1992-1996.