Baywatch star Michael Newman has tragically died at the age of 68.
Newman rose to fame in the ’90s after playing a lifeguard on the long-running series, starring alongside Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra.
The heartbreaking news was confirmed by Newman’s close friend, Matt Felker, who revealed the late actor died “from heart complications” on Sunday, October 20, according to PEOPLE.
The 45-year-old, who directed the recent Hulu docuseries After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, shared that Newman 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,'” Felker revealed to the outlet.
Newman endured an 18-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
He was first diagnosed at the age of 50 in 2006 and devoted his later years to fundraising for the Michael J Fox Foundation.
In a heartfelt interview with PEOPLE this August, the late actor opened up about his desire to raise awareness about the condition through his own experiences.
“This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn’t want, but it’s brought me wisdom,” he said. “My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson’s has now become the center of my life.”
Newman revealed he took 10 medications a day and would often wake up “jittery,” adding: “I am cherishing the days that I get to be on this earth with family and friends. I’m taking life seriously.”
He said that his life mantra is, “It’s not a run-through,” and concluded: “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.”
Newman was the only member of the Baywatch cast who was actually a lifeguard. He was also a firefighter who balanced his on-screen career with his full-time career.
Once the show concluded in 2001, he returned to firefighting before hanging up his helmet 25 years later.
The late star is survived by his wife of 36 years, Sarah, their children Chris and Emily, and their one-year-old granddaughter, Charlie.
Our thoughts are with Newman’s family and friends at this time.
This actor went from $150 a month to running a farm with his famous wife
Can you guess the iconic actor who went from living in a rundown New York “flophouse” for just $150 a month to owning a peaceful farm with his family?
This actor’s humble beginnings are a far cry from his current life of farm animals and fresh home-grown veggies. Growing up, he knew from an early age that he wanted to be an actor.
After trips to the movie theater, he would come home and immediately dress up as one of the characters from the film, fully immersing himself in the world of make-believe. His favorite childhood toy? A box of old clothes his mom had saved for him, which he used to fuel his imagination and creativity.
Wanted the ”real thing”
In 1976, fresh out of Philadelphia, he moved to New York City to chase his dream of acting. He spent months crashing on his sister’s couch before finding a cheap place through an ad in the Village Voice – a no-frills, budget-friendly “artist’s residence.”
Though the place was far from glamorous, it was exactly what he could afford at the time. In fact, the actor shared that it wasn’t even a single room – he had to move in with a roommate.
His roomie was a classical pianist, and the two shared the space for four years. In interviews, the actor fondly reminisces about the calming sounds of the piano that filled the apartment late at night.
While living in The Big Apple, the actor appeared in a production at the Circle in the Square Theater School. ”I wanted life, man, the real thing,” he later recalled to Nancy Mills of Cosmopolitan.
”The message I got was ‘The arts are it. Business is the devil’s work. Art and creative expression are next to godliness.’”
So, can you guess who this determined actor is?
He has a tall, lean frame and a signature look that’s a mix of rugged and charming.
With a square jaw and high cheekbones, he’s got a face that can go from intense to relatable in an instant. His light brown hair is often casually styled, and his deep-set eyes add a mysterious vibe. You might recognize his easy-going, yet timeless style that’s made him a fan favorite for decades. Can you guess who he is?
Alright, we won’t drag this out any longer.
While this Golden Globe Award winner was living in that tiny, $150-a-month space, he was also preparing for his big break.
Household name
Fast forward a few years, and he would go on to star in iconic films like Footloose, Beauty Shop, and The Woodsman, becoming a household name.
So here it is – it’s Kevin Bacon! From his early days as a young actor in New York to now living on a farm with his wife and their animals, his journey has truly been one to follow
Now, the actor is living a completely different life. He and his wife, fellow actress Kyra Sedgwick, now shares a 40-acre farm in Sharon, Connecticut. They have several animals, including goats, pigs, alpacas, and miniature horses.
”I love animals, they are a joy to be around, and they’re very, very calming for me,” Bacon said. ”But we also really love to go into the garden and get fresh herbs or tomatoes or basil or peppers or zucchini.”
And talk about how Bacon is living a completely different life today compared to his bachelor days in New York. He’s got more millions in the bank now – and doesn’t have to rely on his old roommate’s cooking skills anymore.
”He would cook,” Bacon said of his former roommate in New York.
”I didn’t know anything about cooking since I was used to going to the store and getting a sandwich or eating a slice of pizza.”
He added, ”And I watched my roommate, and he was a very frugal man so he was not going to go out and spend money to eat in a restaurant or even get something to go. He would make his own food and I got very inspired by that.”
Gradually, both Kevin and Kyra shares snippets of their daily lives on social media, with Sedgwick posting so many videos of her and their goats to TikTok that people now recognize her for it, rather than her acting roles.
“People were like, ’We love you singing with the goats.’ Kevin and I are like, ’Great, have you seen our movies or TV shows?’ But it makes people happy,” the actress and producer told People.
They even shared that his relationship with his animals has caused a shift in his eating habits — he no longer eats goat or pig products.
”It’s all about the animals,” Kevin says, adding that his wife won’t let him get any more animals, as he’d likely stop eating even more types of food. The couple also loves tending to their garden, growing fresh herbs, tomatoes, and peppers.
Interestingly, the Footloose star and Sedgwick aren’t the only celebs drawn to farm life. In fact, famed actress Jennifer Garner decided to buy back the farm her mother grew up on and transform it into an organic produce project for baby food.
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