Malibu Beach was one star-studded destination! Baywatch made David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson and more actors household names in the ‘90s, but several celebrities appeared on the popular drama before making it big in Hollywood.
Jason Momoa, for one, looked unrecognizable compared to his modern-day scruffy self when he debuted on the series as Jason Ioane in season 10. The Game of Thrones alum, 40, joined the cast when the show relocated to Hawaii and he appeared clean-shaven with short hair.
Mila Kunis, meanwhile, played two roles on Baywatch. The That ‘70s Show alum, 30, first showed up as a student named Annie in a season 5 episode before returning as a blind girl named Bonnie in season 6. (Fun fact: Beverley Mitchell also guest-starred in the 1995 episode as a friend of Kunis’.)
Sofia Vergara made an uncredited cameo in season 9 after gaining popularity as a Univision host. A decade later, the 47-year-old actress made her mark on U.S. audiences with the premiere of Modern Family.
Michelle Williams followed in Kunis’ footsteps, taking on two different roles. In the season 4 premiere, the Oscar nominee, 39, played a young girl named Bridget. When she returned episodes later, the Dawson’s Creek alum went uncredited as “Hobie’s groupie.”
Bryan Cranston, Mariska Hargitay, David Spade, Jenny McCarthy, Shiri Appleby and Elizabeth Berkley were among the other well-known faces who stopped by the show.
Baywatch aired for 11 seasons from 1989 to 2001. The 242-episode series followed Los Angeles County lifeguards as they strived to keep the beaches in the area safe.
Though the show was canceled after its first season on NBC, it lived on via syndication. Baywatch ultimately became the most-watched program in the world.
The television hit spawned a 2017 film of the same name starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario. Original stars Hasselhoff, 67, and Anderson, 52, made cameos, with the Knight Rider alum playing “The Mentor” and the model reprising her role as Casey Jean Parker.
Watch the video above to revisit the stars that even the biggest Baywatch fans forgot were on the series!
