David Hasselhoff has paid tribute to his Baywatch co-star Michael Newman, after he died aged 68.
Newman played himself, as a lifeguard, in the famous show, and was the third most regular actor after Hasselhoff, who starred as Mitch Buchannon, and Jeremy Jackson, who played Hasselhoff’s on-screen son Hobie Buchannon.
In 2006, Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Michael Newman seen at an event for After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun in August of this year. Pic: AP
Posting on social media, Hasselhoff shared a picture of himself and Newman on set, saying: “Newman was a warrior….he literally saved my life at least 4 times.
“He did the transfer from the scarab to jet skis several times perfectly. What an amazing man. He was never afraid of the water.
“I remember directing him in a few episodes and he was really good. He became a great actor. We will all miss him.”
David Hasselhoff pictured in 2022. Pic: AP
Meanwhile, Jackson said he was “so fortunate to have watched you be a real man” and was “honoured to have crossed paths” with Newman.
He described Newman as a “true leader”, adding “there [will] never be another warrior like this”.
Newman was also a full-time firefighter and continued to work while filming the hit US drama, which ran from 1989 to 1999.
He starred in a number of spin-offs and appeared in the 1999 film Enemy Action with C Thomas Howell and Louis Mandylor.
His later years were spent working with the Michael J Fox Foundation to help try to find a cure for Parkinson’s.
Newman’s death was confirmed by his friend Matthew Felker who recently directed the documentary After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun.
Days before his death, Felker said Newman joked he had visited him “just in time”.
Read more from Sky News:
Top Gun: Maverick instructor dies in plane crash
Harvey Weinstein ‘has bone marrow cancer’
TV presenter reveals Parkinson’s diagnosis
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
“That was Mike – he found humour all the way until the end,” he said.
Felker continued: “Before I left him, we read him letters and played videos from friends from all walks of life, he knew he was loved.
“Before I left him he grabbed my hand as tight as he could and looked me dead in the eyes and just nodded. I nodded and said ‘We will see each other again, I promise’.
“A few days later. I lost my friend. A hero, my hero. Thanks for coming into my life, Newmie, even if it was a brief time.”