CARMEN ELECTRA as Lani McKenzie (1997-98)
Perhaps the most versatile of the Baywatch Babes, Carmen has been a singer, dancer, model, actress... even an author. In 2007 she published "How to be Sexy."
Carmen's first big break came from posing in Playboy.
"From the time I was a little girl I would sneak into my parents' bedroom and look through Playboy magazines," she said in a 2007 interview with www.guardian.co.uk. "I always thought that the sexy women in the magazine were beautiful.
"I've chosen jobs that were sexy because I wanted to do them. I wanted to be on 'Baywatch' and I wanted to pose for Playboy."
But she admitted, "I was painfully, painfully shy, so when I got offered to do Playboy... I thought what a great fun opportunity it was and what a way to get over some of my shyness. And then, of course, no one wanted me to keep my clothes on after that."
Born in Sharonville, Ohio as Tara Leigh Patrick, Carmen knew she was destined to be an entertainer and she had entertaining in her genes -- her mother was a singer, her dad a guitarist.
Classic TV Beauties 1990s Countdown
THE BABES OF "BAYWATCH": Pamela Anderson, Erika Eleniak, Carmen Electra, Yasmine Bleeth, Gena Lee Nolin, Donna D'Errico, Nicole Eggert, Angelica Bridges, Brooke Burns, Traci Bingham, Shawn Weatherly, Marliece Andrada, Nancy Valen, Kelly Packard
"Baywatch" was pure eye candy. Bodacious babes bouncing down the beach in their trademark one-piece bathing suits, displaying ample flesh and cleavage.
Sure, there was some beefcake thrown in for the ladies, but the basis for the show's incredible international success was the revolving cast of young, fit and beautiful starlets.
Few of the female lifeguards were established actresses; most of the girls were models and quite a few launched their careers posing in Playboy magazine. And most of the women worked on the show for only a season or two.
The consensus was the writing made for boring acting and the work conditions -- the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean when filming during the winter -- were not always ideal But as one Baywatch Babe put it: The tradeoff was being showcased on the No. 1 TV show in the world.
PAMELA ANDERSON as C.J. Parker (1992-97)
You could say that Pamela built her career on big blonde hair and boobs, but what separated her from the pack was her business acumen. She transformed herself from a run of the mill model into a brand.
After launching her career from as a Playboy Centerfold, Pamela was hired as a Tool Time Girl on the Tim Allen show "Home Improvement." When the opportunity came with "Baywatch," she had to choose between the two shows. She selected "Baywatch" because she could bring her dog to work at the beach.
"'Baywatch' was a great show," Pamela said. "You could turn it on halfway through an episode and still enjoy it."
"Baywatch" led to a starring role and executive producer job for her own TV series, "VIP.." Movies, reality shows, and more modeling gigs has turned Pam into a household name. She's become the best known blonde since Marilyn Monroe.
YASMINE BLEETH as Caroline Holden (1994-97)
Although she was known as a stunning beauty, Yasmine made a point to let people know she wasn't a bimbo.
"People are surprised to find out that I can speak and put two sentences together, that I'm smart and literate," she said in a 1999 interview. "I look at the stereotype and wonder. Is it because I'm an actress? Is it because I'm a woman? Or is it because I was doing a show where I was perceived as a sex symbol, whatever that means?"
"Baywatch was great fun. But I had been on soaps for seven years before that, while for most of the cast Baywatch was their first job," she said. "I didn't learn much."
Born in New York City to a model mother of French and Algerian descent, Yasmine appeared in a Johnson & Johnson's No More Tears baby shampoo commercial at age 10 months. And at 12 she made her movie debut in "Hey Babe!" with Buddy Hackett.
Yasmine also started modeling swimsuits when she was young.
"I really loved modeling," she told interviewer Dennis Hensley. "My parents used to own location vans for fashion shoots and I remember going on a Francesco Scavullo shoot. All these famous models were there and I remember Kim Alexis dressing me up and putting makeup on me. I thought it was glamorous."
No. 6
SHAWN WEATHERLY as JILL RILEY (1989-90)
While other Baywatch Babes have won beauty pageants, Shawn is only one who can claim Miss USA and Miss Universe titles (1980).
Shawn, a native of Sumter, S,C,, was working as a waitress in a restaurant when the owner was watching the Miss Universe contest on the bar TV, and he told Shawn she could win it.
"I only entered [Miss South Carolina pageant] to get a chance to dance on stage," she told Iris magazine in 2009. "I loved tap dancing and was always looking for venues to showcase my dancing."
She said winning "changed everything. Instead of finishing nursing school -- where I struggled with the idea of being a nurse -- I got the nerve to set out on a career in acting. If I hadn't won. I always imagined myself teaching dancing and owning my own studio."
MARLIECE ANDRADA as Skylar Bergman (1997)
Marliece played rookie lifeguard Skylar for one season, then continued her career mainly working as a Playboy model. She was the Playmate of the Month in March 1998, and has appeared in numerous Playboy videos.
Originally from Manteca, Calif., Marliece graduated from Calfifornia State University and later was hired.as a Oakland Raiders Raiderette cheerleader in 1995-96.
Her first TV role was in the HBO series "Arli$$."
Marliece said she has had no misgiving of showing off her body for the world to see.
"I'm really confortable with my body. As long as it's furthering my career... as long as it's for an artistic, beautiful project, I have no problem with it," she said in a 1998 interview.
NANCY VALEN as Samantha Thomas (1996-97)
One of the lesser known Baywatch lifeguards, Nancy appeared in 23 episodes.
A native of Brooklyn who was raised in south Florida, Nancy began modeling in New York City at age 12. She attended a performing arts high school in Fort Lauderdale and declined a theatrical scholarship at the University of Florida so she could continue modeling.
Nancy appeared in two episodes of "Miami Vice," and earned her first regular role on the soap "Ryan's Hope."
Nancy made her film debut in "Porky's Revenge" (1985) and guest-starred on a number of TV series, including "Silk Stalkings" and "Friends."
Nancy is also known for hosting fitness infomercials, such as the Bun and Thigh Roller and Thin 'n Sexy Body Wrap.
KELLY PACKARD as April Giminski (1998)
Before "Baywatch," Kelly starred on a Saturday morning series "California Dreams," about a high school beach band. She hosted "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" and guest-starred on three different occasions on the TV series "Blossom," playing three different girl friends of Joey Lawrence.
Another native of Glendale, Calif., Kelly was raised on a ranch in Arizona and Canyon Country, California.
Donna D'Errico as Donna Marco (1996-98)
Donna said that she felt constant pressure to stay fit for "Baywatch."
"There was a lot of emphasis put on weight and appearance," Donna told Fox News in 2012. "We dealt with the weight pressure beause the tradeoff was we got to be on the number one syndicated show in the world. We were all so young and I probably wouldn't make that same choice today."
Donna added that at the end of one season, "I'd gained ten pounds and the executive producers scheduled a meeting with me and I heard through the grapevine that they were going to fire me.
"But by the time I went into the meeting I had lost most of it so they didn't fire me."
A native of Dothan, Alabama, Donna became the Playboy Playmate of the Month in September 1995, and a year later she'd earned a role on "Baywatch."
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ERIKA ELENIAK as Shauni McClain (1989-92)
One of the original cast members, Erika wished she'd kept her iconic red bathing suit.
"It's so funny because I get comments all the time like... 'Maybe you should sell that red bathing suit you have in your closet,'" she said in a 2005 interview with Avenue magazine. "I don't have one! I never got one! I wish I had that red bathing suit, that would be so cute [to own]... or one of those flofation devices or a jacket. I don't have a damn thing from 'Baywatch.'"
Born in Glendale, California with Ukraninian, Estonian and German heritage, Erika was discovered by a talent scout for Steven Spielberg while auditioning for a seventh grade play. She was cast in Spielberg's "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" as the girl who kissed Elliott.
"I still remember sitting with my mom, Grandma and sister in the Hollywood Dome Theater for the premiere and just being wide-eyed the whole time," Erika said in an interview with www.gojimmygo.net.
"I was very fortunate in that my mom was the complete opposite of what a typical 'stage mother' is," she said. "She made sure that I had.a normal childhood and stayed in school. I had worked a couple of jobs a year on average but as far as getting roles based on E.T., there were none that I am aware of."
Erika progressed from E.T. to Playboy by age 18, appearing as the July 1989 centerfold. She never considered an encore pictorial in the magazine.
"Been there, done that, got the hat and the T-shirt," she said. "In terms of doing the magazine, I'm not in bad company. A lot of wonderful, very talented actresses have posed for Playboy without being pigeonholed or stereotyped.
"That was a job... I was 18 to 20 when it was all wrapped up and then I moved on. I've got other experiences now and everything adds to who you are."
She played a Playmate in the Steven Seagal action thriller"Under Siege" but considered her favorite role when she was cast as Elly May Clamplett in the 1993 movie "The Beverly Hillbillies."
As for "Baywatch," Erika noted there were "Two Baywatches in my mind -- domestically and internationally. In the industry, it was [regarded as] people running around in bathing suits. It was hard to be taken seriously as an actor.
"But internationally -- oh my God. It gave me a world that I am so grateful for. So many movies that I have done were because of Baywatch."
Her career started as a dancer at Kings Island amusement park in Ohio, then she moved to California in 1991. Carmen met Prince and signed a recording contract as a singer and toured as his opening act in 1992
"I love having a variety of projects to work on," she told Regard magazine. "Modeling feels pretty natural to me. Dancing is fun and is what I studied since the age of five. There is nothing like being in front of a live audience. Acting is more challenging so it's actually more rewarding. Being a book author is cool!"
Notwithstanding her career as a talented entertainer, Carmen's beauty hasn't gone unrecognized. FHM magazine named her as the Sexiest Woman of the Year in 2004.
NICOLE EGGERT as Summer Quinn (1992-94)
While most of the Baywatch Babes recalled their time on the show as a pleasant experience,, Nicole wasn't as positive about her tour. She told Entertainment Weekly in 1995, "I'm not an active feminist but being on 'Baywatch' was against everything I am morally."
After she left, Nicole said, "I quit the show because I'm scared of being typecast as a bimbo. There are a lot of boobs and butts in this show. All the girls run around in their bikinis far too much.
Yasmine acted in the soaps "Ryan's Hope" and "One Life to Live," starting when she was still in high school.
"The soaps were my formative, growing-up years, and in terms of acting, they give you great discipline."
After "Baywatch," Yasmine earned a role in the Don Johnson TV series "Nash Bridges," starring as Caitlin Cross.
"It really made me feel confident that they didn't hire me just because I was some girl from Baywatch with a cute body," she said. "I thought they would have me in the sack with him in two shots. It actually took eighteen."
Yasmine called her character "strong, ballsy, aggressive and smart. At the same time, Caitlin is very feminine, too, and I really liked that combination. I think that's why she gets away with her behavior. The character uses her feminine wiles and at the same time she's charming."
TRACI BINGHAM as Jordon Tate (1996-98)
Another Baywatch Babe who appeared in Playboy, Traci became the first African-American female to become a regular on "Baywatch."
Born in Cambridge, Mass., Traci's exotic looks could be traced to her black mother and a father of Cherokee and Italian descent.
She first appeared in the video "Good Vibrations," by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch."
She later became a fixture on reality TV shows, starring in "Celebrity Boot Camp" (2002), "The Surreal Life" (2004), and "Celebrity Big Brother" (2006), among others.
"Sci-fi fans are eccentric. On 'Baywatch,' I got thousands of hot and heavy letters, but on 'Black Scorpions' they ask technical questions and I have no idea."
GENA LEE NOLIN as Neely Capshaw (1995-98)
A native of Duluth, Minn., Gena got her start modeling, winning a Miss Las Vegas contest. In 1994 she became one of Barker's Beauties on the game show "The Price is Right."
A year later she earned the role of Neely, appearing in 65 episodes. Gena quit "Baywatch" to star in the title role in "Sheena," a fantasy TV show that lasted 35 episodes (2000-2002).
She was a Playboy cover model in 2001.
After she began work on "Sheena," Gena inexplicably gained weight and suffered from severe depression and fatigue.
"It was after 'Baywatch' when I was working on another show that I really started to feel the symptons and gain a lot of weight," she told Fox News. "I would literally gain 10 pounds in a single day and was constantly puffy and bloated, which is very tough when you're in this industry."
She was later diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, a condition that destroys the thyroid.
In 2012, she was recovering from the disease and was promoting awareness of thyroid illness.
Asked if her parents were disappointed when she chose to pose in Playboy, she said, "I've made mistakes in my past that I wouldn't make today. That's a chapter in my life that I've closed the door on. It seems to me like another person."
In recent years, Donna has appeared in independent films such as "Intervention" "Inconceivable," and "The Making of Plus One."
Angelia Bridges as Taylor Walsh (1997-98)
Another beauty queen turned model, Angelica was crowned "Miss Missouri Teen" in 1990. She was singing at Universal Studios in Orlando when she was discovered by by the Elite Modeling Agency.
A native of Harrisonville, Missouri (population less than 200), Angelica was raised on a ranch.
When she modeled for a Playboy cover in 2001; the magazine said: "Angelica is RED-HOT and has what it takes to stand out in a crowd."
FHM named her as one of its 100 Sexiest Women in the World in 1998, and The Examiner called her "A living, breathing Jessica Rabbit."
Angelica recalled her first day on the job at "Baywatch": "I had to revive [fellow actor] Michael Bergin. It was also his first week on the program and he wasn't used to getting mouth-to-mouth. I was really into character, my lips were on his and I was blowing while trying to remember everything from CPR class.
"Then, all of a sudden, this fool starts puckering his lips and kissing me."
Angelica's most memorable film role was as Red Sonja in the 2000 movie "Conan the Adventurer."
She also had recurring roles in the soaps "Days of our Lives" and "The Bold and the Beautiful."
Brooke Burns as Jessie Owens (1998-2001)
Not to be confused with Brooke Burke, the "Dancing With the Stars" co-host, Baywatch's Brooke performed ballet dance until she broke her anterior cruciate ligament in a skiing accident and she began modeling at aghe 15.
"I moved to Europe when I was 16. I was lucky to have my parents with me to protect me from the scary side of modeling and Europe at that age," she said in an interview with U Magazine. "I lived in Paris, Milan and Germany. I'm a gypsy at heart, so getting paid to travel and having an agency call to say, 'You have to go shoot bathing suits at the beach next week' is like heaven on earth."
Brooke, a native of Dallas, didn't hesitate to accept an acting role in which she would wear a swimsuit most of the time, but her father had different feelings.
"I grew up in a very conservative, Christian home so when I got 'Baywatch" my father asked, 'Exactly how big is that bathing suit?'"
Brooke earned a larger role as Katrina in the 2001 film "Shallow Hal."
"That was a really funny audition process," she said. "I was supposed to be auditioning for Gwyneth Paltrow's neighbor, but [the producers, the Farrelly brothers] said I was the dorky-est pretty girl that they had ever met and wanted to write a separate role for me."
You may have also seen Brooke in the TV series "North Shore" (2004-2005) and in six episodes of "Melrose Place" as Vanessa Mancini, wife of Dr. Michael Mancini. Brooke appeared in two recent TV movies, "Fixing Pete" and "Undercover Bridesmaid."
"There is more to life than flaunting yourself on a beach."
Born in Glendale, California -- as were Erika Eleniak and Kelly Packard -- Nicole appeared in a Johnson's Baby Shampoo -- as did Yasmine Bleeth. At age 5 she won Miss Universe in the Petite Division, and three years later she appeared in.her first movie, "Rich and Famous."
TV audiences recall Nicole from "Who's the Boss?" playing Marci Ferguson, a good freind of Alyssa Milano's character, and she was Jamie Powell in "Charles in Charge" (1987-90).
More recently, Nicole participated in the Celebrity Fitness Club on VH1 in 2010.
"I was featured in some of the tabloid magazines as having gained weight and it was sort of an eye opening, horrid experience for me," she told the website www.thatsfit.com. "When the offer came through I felt like it put a lot of pressure on me and it would get me out of the house and get me working. A lot of my weight gain was being depressed and being home.".
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Click on your favorite Baywatch Babe
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