Michael Newman was a firefighter, lifeguard, and actor who starred on the hit TV show “Baywatch.”
- Died: October 20, 2024 (Who else died on October 20?)
- Details of death: Died at a Los Angeles hospital after fighting Parkinson’s disease at the age of 67.
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Michael Newman’s legacy
Newman was with “Baywatch” from the show’s beginning – in fact, he helped get the show off the ground. Working as a lifeguard and firefighter in Los Angeles, Newman had a fellow lifeguard friend who had an idea for a TV show about their profession. When his friend was ready to try to sell his idea, Newman appeared in a teaser tape, running on the Santa Monica beach in an attempt to interest network executives in “Baywatch.” The idea finally sold, and the show debuted in 1989.
The only real lifeguard among the “Baywatch” cast, Newman was initially not one of its stars. He was a consultant who made sure there was some realism in the “Baywatch” shots, and he taught the show’s stars basics, like how to run on sand or how an actual lifeguard would carry safety equipment. Newman also did stunts, diving in the water for risky shots that the actors couldn’t handle. Over the years, he began appearing more and more as one of the show’s lifeguards, and by the seventh “Baywatch” season, he had become one of its main cast. His character, like the actor, was named Mike Newman, and both went by the nickname “Newmie.”
Newman also appeared in the spinoff “Baywatch Nights” for several episodes. He left “Baywatch” after Season 10. In 2006, Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and he later spoke out about the condition and its effects on his life.
Notable quote
“The head writer on the show would call me up and say: ‘Ok Mike, what kind of equipment would we use in this scene? What kind of radio equipment would the actors use? What would the traffic sequence be? What would they be saying on the radio?’ And I would dictate all this information to these guys and they would repay me by writing me some good stuff in the show.” — from a 2014 interview for The Daily Mail
Tributes to Michael Newman
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
