David Hasselhoff is remembering his late Baywatch costar, Michael Newman.
“Newman was a warrior … he literally saved my life at least 4 times,” the Mitch Buchanan actor wrote alongside a photo of him and Newman on the Baywatch set via Instagram late Tuesday, October 22. “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.”
“RIP to the one and only @newmiefish,” commented Jeremy Jackson, who played Hobie Buchanan, Mitch’s son on the popular lifeguard drama.
Newman died Sunday, October 20, at the age of 68, nearly two decades after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006.
People reported that Newman died “from heart complications,” adding that he was “surrounded by his family and friends.”
“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,’” Newman’s friend Matt Felker told the outlet.
Original ‘Baywatch’ Cast: Where Are They Now?
Newman appeared on Baywatch for 10 seasons from 1989 to 2000. His character, Newmie, was based loosely on himself since he was the only real lifeguard in the cast. He was not initially a featured actor on the action drama, but after he began performing stunts and offering guidance to the writers about rescue scenes, he became invaluable.
“I was too useful for them to get rid of me,” he told People in 2023. “I basically started off as a stuntman, and after seven years of being out of the opening credits, I finally was anointed and allowed to be in the front of the show.”
Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006 after his family and friends noticed him slowing down despite always being very athletic. “Everything changes,” he told People about dealing with the condition in January. “All those things that you thought you were going to do with your children and grandchildren, pictures we were going to take, all the plans I had … stopped.”
Former Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela Dead at 63
“It’s a slow burn,” Newman added of the progression of his illness. “Parkinson’s disease doesn’t wait for you. It keeps on plowing in.”
Newman is survived by his wife, Sarah, the couple’s two children, son Chris and daughter Emily, and their granddaughter, Charlie.
