Michael Newman (lifeguard)

Michael Newman (born 1 January, 1957) was a Los Angeles County lifeguard for 20 years and a firefighter. He is known for his role on the hit TV series Baywatch playing a fictional lifeguard sharing his real name.[1] He became an actor on the show after having been originally hired as a consultant.

Early life

Newman started his career as a lifeguard at the age of 10 when he joined the junior lifeguards. He excelled at swimming and water sports and attended Pacific Palisades High School. He later attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he majored in advertising.

Newman took the firefighter's exam while waiting to be hired as a lifeguard. He soon found the two to be compatible. He has an older brother who is a Los Angeles County Lifeguard.

Baywatch

In 1989, Newman joined his friend and fellow lifeguard, Greg Bonann, as a technical consultant on Bonann's television show, Baywatch. Newman also made frequent appearances on the show as an actor, making him the only real lifeguard featured on the show. He remained on the show through its entire run, becoming a regular cast member in the opening credits in 1996. The exposure from the show made him an international star over the years. Newman even had his own official fan club at the height of his popularity.

Many of the rescue scenes on the show were reenacted from actual rescues Newman participated in as a lifeguard.

In 1996, Newman won the lifeguarding National Ironman Championship.

Newman currently lives in Pacific Palisades, California with his wife, Sarah, and their two children, a son, Chris and a daughter, Emily, where he sells real estate.

In November 2011, Newman revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease after seeking medical attention for a hand tremor.[2]

Notes
  1. "Baywatch guard a real pro". Tampa Tribune. October 7, 1995.
  2. Finn, Natalie (Nov 14, 2011). "Baywatch's Real Lifeguard Battling Parkinson's Disease". eonline. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
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