Baywatch star Michael Newman dead at 68: Actor dies after Parkinson's battle

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Actor Michael Newman, who appeared in Baywatch, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006.

Baywatch star Michael Newman, who was a trained lifeguard, played the role of ‘‘Newmie’ in the hit show and appeared in 150 episodes. Matt Felker, who was a close friend of Newman and directed the Hulu docuseries After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, wrote on Instagram that "I got to see Mike the last time he was conscious and he looked [at] me and in typical Mike fashion said, 'You’re just in time.”

Although David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson are Baywatch’s most well-known stars, Michael Newman appeared in more episodes of the show than any other actor, aside from David Hasselhoff. Whilst he appeared in the show, Michael Newman still worked as a full-time firefighter and continued his job when the series ended. Michael Newman retired from firefighting after 25 years. 

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Actor Michael Newman who appeared in Baywatch, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006. American actress Donna D'Errico, actor and lifeguard Michael Newman and actress Traci Bingham attending a 'Baywatch' press event to unveil the show's new cast members on Malibu Beach in Malibu, California, July 17th 1996Actor Michael Newman who appeared in Baywatch, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006. American actress Donna D'Errico, actor and lifeguard Michael Newman and actress Traci Bingham attending a 'Baywatch' press event to unveil the show's new cast members on Malibu Beach in Malibu, California, July 17th 1996
Actor Michael Newman who appeared in Baywatch, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006. American actress Donna D'Errico, actor and lifeguard Michael Newman and actress Traci Bingham attending a 'Baywatch' press event to unveil the show's new cast members on Malibu Beach in Malibu, California, July 17th 1996 | Getty Images

When he promoted After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, Michael Newman spoke about how Parkinson’s had affected him and said: "My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson’s has now become the center of my life.”

In recent years, Michael Newman had worked with the Michael J Fox Foundation to try and find a cure for Parkinson’s. Michael is survived by wife, Sarah, his adult children Chris and Emily and one-year-old granddaughter named Charlie. 

At the time of his death, actor Michael Newman was reportedly surrounded by friends and family. 

David Hasselhoff said his Baywatch co-star “saved my life at least four times” while filming the TV series, following Newman’s death aged 68.

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“Newman was a warrior….he literally saved my life at least four times,” US actor Hasselhoff said in a post on Instagram, sharing a picture of the pair on set. “He did the transfer from the scarab to jet skis several times perfectly. What an amazing man. He was never afraid of the water. I remember directing him in a few episodes and he was really good. He became a great actor. We will all miss him.”

Meanwhile Jeremy Jackson, who starred as Hasselhoff’s on-screen son Hobie Buchannon, said he was “so fortunate to have watched you be a real man” and he was “honoured to have crossed paths” with Newman in several posts on his Instagram story.

He described him as a “true leader”, adding “there (will) never ever be another warrior like this”.

Felker posted: “Few of us are lucky enough to have someone like Mike Newman enter and change their life. I met Mike five years ago in the beginning stages of a Baywatch series. After five years of following his life and becoming very close friends, Mike was able to see the series come to fruition.

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“The amount of issues this series had, and hurdles, was like no other. Mike was not only a real-life hero, he was a competitor through and through. I knew how much this series meant to him and his life. There were times I wanted throw it all in the trash and then I remembered Mike – I couldn’t let him down, I couldn’t quit, he never did.

“We succeeded together pulling something off that was nearly impossible against hurdles you wouldn’t believe. Seeing him light up at our premiere in Santa Monica was worth all the bullshit I endured for years.”

Days prior to his death, Felker said Newman had joked his visit was “just in time”.

“That was Mike – he found humour all the way until the end,” he continued. “Before I left him, we read him letters and played videos from friends from all walks of life, he knew he was loved. Before I left him he grabbed my hand as tight as he could and looked me dead in the eyes and just nodded. I nodded and said ‘We will see each other again, I promise’. A few days later. I lost my friend. A hero, my hero. Thanks for coming into my life, Newmie, even if it was a brief time.”

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His Baywatch co-star Gena Lee Nolin, who played Neely Capshaw, replied to Felker’s tribute, saying: “Rest in Peace Newmie. He will be remembered and greatly missed by so many. One of the good ones through and through.”

Newman also starred in a number of Baywatch spin-offs, including Baywatch Hawaii, Baywatch: White Thunder At Glacier Bay, and Baywatch Nights. Similarly, he appeared in the 1999 film Enemy Action with C Thomas Howell and Louis Mandylor.

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