In the fast-paced frenzy that is today’s society, it’s hard to imagine a time when you’d be entertained by just watching people run reeeaaally slooowly. But that time was called the ’90s, and those people were known as the cast of Baywatch. At the center of the Los Angeles County Lifeguards, there was superstar David Hasselhoff, who spoke with Men’s Health about his international hit TV series, and about where he has taken and continues to take his career since Baywatch ended.
Hasselhoff reveals the truth behind the program’s trademark slow motion run scenes. “That came about organically because we had no money,” he tells the magazine. “We didn’t have enough financing to finish the show. So we found a way to fill the hour by shooting people in slow motion. We said, ‘Well, girls in bathing suits look good running in slow motion, let’s just shoot that.’ And we found out that the audience kinda liked it.”
To sum up exactly why he thinks the show became such a smash, Hasselhoff deliberated: “I think it’s about people wanting to be free and looking at America as the big lifeguard. That’s why Baywatch was popular.” Of course, he does offer an alternative explanation: “Or it’s the tits.”
Although his lifeguarding days are over, Hasselhoff still finds himself near the sea. The actor will appear in the upcoming film Piranha 3DD, which he calls, “the world’s greatest movie.” Hasselhoff explains: “It’s funny, because it’s stupid, because it’s self-effacing. Everyone tried to talk me out of it. My press agent, my manager, everybody. And I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?'”
While the star is still getting movie roles, and flying high on his persistent Guinness Book of World Records title as Most Watched Person on Television, not everything Hasselhoff touches turns to gold. The actor recounts the failure of his tour with The Producers in Las Vegas, blaming it entirely on the town. “Nobody in Vegas wants a story,” he says. “They’re too drunk. They just want to get back to the casino. Nothing sophisticated survives in Vegas.”
Of course, there is still one Hasselhoff project that the world is waiting for: a Knight Rider movie. “I want to do a Knight Rider movie. It’d be Michael Knight and his son,” Hasselhoff continues. “It would be hysterical. We’d bring back KITT and KITT would say, ‘Where’ve you been, Michael?’ And I’d be like, ‘Well, all the cars talk now.'”
While fans might not see this project in the near future, Hasselhoff isn’t fading from the world’s mind anytime soon. The superstar reigns supreme with his Guinness title, a continued presence in film, and the glory of Baywatch memories. The good old slow days.
[Photo Credit: David Edwards/Daily Celeb]
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