David Chokachi recalls starring on Baywatch in the 1990s: "It was like we were the Beatles"

Mel Magazine

"When I got on Baywatch, the show was still climbing," he says. "It hadn’t peaked yet in terms of popularity, so it just became this bigger and bigger thing every year. Overseas, (the fans) were insane. It was like we were the Beatles. There was so much popularity and hype about the show, and we’d go do all these appearances. In those moments, you realized the show was this massive, massive hit. You saw it firsthand. That’s when it sunk in that we were a part of something that was gonna make history." Chokachi also remembered romancing Pamela Anderson on-screen. "Once (the producers) paired me with Pam, we’d have these scenes where we’re making out on the water’s edge," he said. "Remember those shows like Extra and Access Hollywood? They’d send these crews to get shots of you making out, and it’d be like, 'Look at Pam, she’s two-timing Tommy Lee with the new guy, David Chokachi! They’re making out in the ocean!' We’re shooting a scene, you know? But they twisted the truth around a bit. That stuff, I felt for her — it put a lot of strain on her. But it helped the show’s popularity."