When Leonardo DiCaprio Nearly Joined Baywatch—Why David Hasselhoff Stopped It From Happening
Leonardo DiCaprio was almost cast in Baywatch, but David Hasselhoff had other ideas. Here's the untold story behind the missed role and why it didn’t work out.
Leonardo DiCaprio Baywatch Story (Photo Credit – Facebook)
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Did you know Leonardo DiCaprio nearly joined Baywatch? Yep, Hasselhoff’s decision kept him out of the iconic red swimsuit.
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Baywatch producers Michael Berk and Douglas Schwartz spilled the tea about what could have been. DiCaprio, then just a 15 y/o rising star, was ready to dive in as the son of Hasselhoff’s Mitch Buchannon. “We actually had DiCaprio ready to be cast,” Berk shared, setting the scene for a beachside drama that almost had Leo in its lifeguard lineup.
But, plot twist! Hasselhoff wasn’t sold on the idea. “David thought he was too old to play his son,” Schwartz explained, adding that Hasselhoff feared the casting would make him look older. Yeah, the Hoff wasn’t ready to be out-shined by a younger Leo. So, they gave the role to Jeremy Jackson, who was six years Leo’s junior. DiCaprio, of course, went on to bigger and better stuff, starring in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), which earned him his first Oscar nomination.
But that wasn’t the only drama on set. Berk and Schwartz also revealed that Hasselhoff didn’t initially want Pamela Anderson in the show either. “David said, ‘I don’t want a girl that’s been in Playboy,'” Berk recalled. “He said, ‘Children watch this show.’” But Schwartz hinted that there might have been another reason for the pushback: “She had these enormous breasts, and David thought he would be upstaged by everyone looking at her breasts.” Classic Baywatch drama, right?
Despite all the backstage concerns and casting chaos, the original Baywatch became a worldwide hit. DiCaprio’s near-miss didn’t hurt his career, and Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff eventually became household names. Speaking of which, both Hasselhoff and Anderson are set to appear in the upcoming Baywatch reboot. Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron may be leading the charge in the new film, but the OG stars are making their return, though not in their old roles.
Johnson even took to Twitter to express his excitement about welcoming Pamela Anderson to the new cast: “A pleasure to welcome (as gorgeous as ever) Pamela Anderson to our #BAYWATCH cast,” he posted. We couldn’t have made this movie without you. Welcome home. I’m thrilled you had a blast with us!”
While we may not see DiCaprio flexing those lifeguard muscles, the actor’s career has been nothing short of iconic. From Titanic to Inception, DiCaprio has avoided the red swimsuit, but he sure has a long list of almost-roles. Remember when he almost played Robin in Batman Forever, Spider-Man in 2002, or Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars? We nearly lived in a world where Leo was swinging webs and battling Darth Vader.
Maybe Baywatch wasn’t meant to be for him, but who knows? Maybe we’ll get a surprise cameo when the reboot hits theaters. Now that would be one splashy return.
