Trivia: Actor David Hasselhoff first built up a fan following on the daytime TV soaper The Young and the Restless, where from 1975 through 1982 he played Bill "Snapper" Foster. He graduated to Prime Time as crimefighter Michael Knight on the fantasy actioner Knight Rider; this one lasted from 1982 to 1986. With his American career in temporary doldrums after Knight Rider's cancellation, Hasselhoff took advantage of his fluency in the German language to establish a phenomenal successful singing career in Europe. It is likely that nothing has brought him as much professional satisfaction as his Berlin Wall concert, an event that drew 500,000 spectators. In 1989, Hasselhoff signed on for another TV series, the initially unremarkable adventure weekly Baywatch. Few people need to be reminded of David Hasselhoff's success in this last endeavor: as of this writing, Baywatch is the single most popular television series in the world, beaming out to an estimated audience of one billion viewers.

Trivia: Healthy, athletic blonde leading lady Shawn Weatherly was elected Miss Universe in 1980. Four years later, she made her first film, Cannonball Run II, and co-starred in her first weekly TV series, Shaping Up. In the late summer of 1985, viewers watched as Ms. Weatherly learned the rudiments of deep-sea diving during a round-the-world voyage, a year-long experience pared down to a five-episode TV documentary series Oceanquest. Shortly before accepting the occasional role of Dale Robertson's daughter on the weekly J. J. Starbuck (1987) Weatherly displayed a hitherto unsuspected flair for comedy in the role of a nude, accordian-playing Russian defector on the funky Fox Network sitcom The New Adventures of Beans Baxter. In 1989, Shawn Weatherly was cast as lifeguard Jill Riley in the internationally popular series Baywatch, a job she held until March of 1990, when her character was killed by a shark.

Trivia: Though tagged by one publication as "one of prime-time TV's great new faces" when he joined the cast of NBC's Baywatch in the late '80s, Billy Warlock had -- by that point -- already eked out an eminently successful career in multiple venues, including big-screen features (Halloween II, 1981); soap operas (Days of Our Lives, as Frankie Brady), and prime-time situation comedy. Born in Gardena, CA, Warlock achieved his big break thanks to television guru Garry Marshall, who hired him for a guest-starring role in the Robin Williams/Pam Dawber sitcom Mork & Mindy. The positive working relationship with Marshall led, in turn, to a memorable one-season stint as Flip Phillips, the younger brother of English teacher Roger Phillips (Ted McGinley) on the blockbuster ABC sitcom Happy Days (ca. 1982-1983). Warlock joined the cast of Baywatch in 1989; thanks to his presence on that program, he achieved enormous popularity and evolved into a major sex symbol, and in fact remained with the series for one season after it went into syndication in 1991. In subsequent years, Warlock opted to focus more of his attention on soaps, enjoying lengthy runs on daytime dramas including As the World Turns, The Young and the Restless, and a brief reprise of his Brady role on Days in 2005 and 2006.

Trivia: Whenever Monte Markham guest-stars on a TV whodunit these days, chances are it was Markham who "done it." Long before he became everybody's favorite mystery killer, however, Markham was a likeable leading man in the Jimmy Stewart mode. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Markham started out as a stage actor. In 1967, he landed the starring role in his first-ever TV series, playing the dual role of a "quick-frozen" 99-year-old man and his 33-year-old grandson on The Second Hundred Years. Two years later, he essayed the Gary Cooper role in the weekly TV version of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. And in 1973, he played the title character in the ill-advised New Perry Mason. That same year, Markham made his Broadway debut in Irene, winning a Theatre World Award for his performance. In the 1980s, he played Clint Ogden in the prime-time serial Dallas (1981) and Carter Robinson in the syndicated soap opera Rituals (1984); he also briefly hosted the daily informational series Breakaway (1984). Contemporary TV viewers know Markham as Captain Don Thorpe in Baywatch and Mr. Parker in Melrose Place. In addition to his extensive acting credits, Monte Markham has directed two feature films, Defense Play (1988) and Neon City (1992).

Trivia: Lead actor, onscreen from the '80s.

Trivia: Parker Stevenson had been appearing in films and TV for five years before he was cast as teen-aged sleuth Frank Hardy on the 1977 TVer The Hardy Boys Mysteries. While the 25-year-old Stevenson was a skilled enough actor to convey his character's extreme youth, his contribution to the series was overshadowed by the teen-heartthrob attention afforded his 19-year-old co-star Shaun Cassidy. Cassidy's season in the sun was brief, but Stevenson has continued to flourish as a TV leading man. He has been blessed with the good fortune of being associated with three of the Small Screen's biggest hits: he played Joel McCarthy on Falcon Crest (1984-85 season), Craig Pomeroy on Baywatch (1989-90) and Steve McMillan on Melrose Place (1993 season only). Parker Stevenson was the husband of actress Kirstie Alley. In the years to come, Stevenson would remain active on screen, appearing on shows like Legend of the Seeker.

Trivia: Lead actor, onscreen from the '80s.

Trivia: While she made her film debut in E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982), Erika Eleniak became a TV celebrity through rather less G-rated means. An actress since her teens, California girl and 1989 Playboy Playmate Eleniak made her name as one of the babes guarding the beaches on the TV hit Baywatch in 1989. After several seasons on the show and two Baywatch TV movies, Eleniak left the series in 1992 for more work in feature films. Though she starred as Steven Seagal's impromptu helper in his well-received 1992 action hit Under Siege and as one of the upwardly mobile southern transplants in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), Eleniak's subsequent features failed to match her box office success with Seagal. After the failure of Dennis Hopper's Last Detail (1973) re-tread Chasers (1994) and the romantic fantasy A Pyromaniac's Love Story (1995), the actress worked steadily in B-films and TV movies, playing starring roles in the horror flick Tales From the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood (1996), TV's Heatwave (1997) and One Hot Summer Night (1998), and action movies The Pandora Project (1998) and Stealth Fighter (1999). After her marriage in 1998, Eleniak billed herself as Erika Eleniak-Goglia. Eleniak was praised for her leading performance in The Opponent (2000), a feminist drama wherein she portrays a woman who is empowered after becoming a boxer. Sadly, The Opponent seemed to mark the peak of her career. She churned out one unremarkable film after the next throughout the early and mid-2000s, and in 2006 was a contestant in the fourth season of Celebrity Fit Club.

Trivia: Lead actress Nicole Eggert first appeared onscreen in the late '80s.

Trivia: Actor David Charvet caught his first big acting break on the popular seaside drama Baywatch in 1992 playing Matt Brody. He also became well known for playing the character of Craig Field on the night-time soap Melrose Place from 1996 to 1998, but he largely left acting in 1999 to focus on his music career. In 2008, however, Charvet returned to acting to appear in the film Prisoners of the Sun and Green Flash. Two years later he had a major role in the made-for-cable thriller The Perfect Teacher.

Trivia: Bleached blonde, buxom, but slender bombshell Pamela Anderson stands out in any crowd as one of the sex symbols of the mid-'90s. Known first as a spokesmodel for Labatt beer, then as one of Playboy magazine's most popular models, Anderson gained international recognition after she was cast as C.J., the sweet but tough lifeguard in the impossibly tight red bathing suit in the phenomenally popular syndicated television series Baywatch. Her popularity has led to several film roles, notably that of the black leather bustier-wearing title heroine in the comic-book actioner Barb Wire (1996). The role was appropriate, for there is something indeed cartoonish about Anderson, who had enhanced her petite frame with big hairdos, surgically inflated lips, and silicon breast implants. Anderson made a splash on the day she was born, as she was the first centennial baby in her region of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She first attracted media notice in 1989, when a roving camera caught a glimpse of her during a professional football game in Vancouver. The picture of the cheering Anderson, who was wearing a Labatt's tee shirt at the time, was simultaneously shown on the arena's Jumbotron screen. Though her body was, surgically speaking, still in its original condition, her attributes and beauty were enough to cause a sensation. Labatt's executives remembered the crowd's positive reaction and hired her to become the brewery's spokeswoman. She attracted the attention of Playboy and was hired to do a photo layout. She has since gone on to appear on the magazine's cover an unprecedented five times. Once in Hollywood, she changed her appearance and soon found work guest starring on television shows. Her first recurring role was on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement where she played Lisa, the Tool Time Girl. Anderson made her film debut playing a cheerleader in the low-budget actioner The Taking of Beverly Hills (1992). She has also appeared in a few television movies, including Come Die With Me: A Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Mystery (1994). Although an attempt to translate her small-screen success to the silver screen in the comic-book Casablanca adaptation Barb Wire proved unsuccessful to say the least, Anderson continued to thrill television audiences in Baywatch and stirred up much controversy when an extremely intimate honeymoon video of herself and then-husband Tommy Lee began making the rounds in 1998. Though the couple parted ways that same year in a highly publicized divorce case, Anderson went on to marry another bad boy, Detroit musician Kid Rock after returning to television as a sexy secret agent on the series V.I.P. .Anderson shocked her fan base in early 2002 when she announced that she had contracted the Hepatitis C virus, but this wouldn't kept he bombshell down. She provided the voice for the sexy tongue-in-cheek star of the Spike TV animated series Striperella and made appearances on shows like Less Than Perfect and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. In 2006, she starred in two seasons of the sitcom Stacked, before appearing in Sacha Baron Cohen's mockumentary Borat. The minor appearance resonated with audiences, and Anderson would continue her comedy streak with films like Blonde and Blonder, Superhero Movie, and Hollywood & Wine.Though Anderson continued acting in smaller projects, she became more well-known for her personal life and her passionate advocacy. She frequently works with PETA and other animal rights groups, and is a prominent vegan.

Trivia: Leggy, athletic leading lady Alexandra Paul spent her first years in films and TV in roles calling for acute physical fitness. Paul's earliest movie role of note was sensuous hitchhiker Becky in American Flyers (1986).Ms. Paul was cast against type in the Dan Aykroyd-Tom Hanks spoof Dragnet (1987) as the ever-imperiled Virgin Connie Swail (just plain "Connie Swail" by fade-out time). On TV, Paul had a recurring role as erstwhile detective Amy Hastings in the Perry Mason 2-hour specials of the late 1980s. In 1992, Alexandra Paul was cast as lifeguard Stephanie Holden on the internationally popular Baywatch, remaining with the series until bowing out in 1996. She remained a mainstay on women's programs and made-for-TV thrillers, all the while leading a vigorous off-screen life as a vocal activist for the environment, animal welfare and gay rights.

Trivia: Made his first appearance on TV in Paradise Beach in 1993. Breakout role was in Baywatch, playing lifeguard Logan Fowler from 1994 to '97. Appeared on the cover of Playgirl in 1995. Played the father in a group of actors hired to act as a family to help sell model homes in California in 2006. In 2008, announced he was gay and adopting his partner's son to help raise awareness about adoption.

Trivia: The Baywatch beauty who had millions of male viewers glued to their televisions with her slow-motion jaunts across sandy beaches, Yasmine Bleeth proved a lucrative television draw throughout the 1990s, though multiple run-ins with police in the early new millennium led many to whisper rumors of a fall from grace. Born in New York City on June, 14, 1968, Bleeth began her career in front of the cameras early when at age six she made her television debut in a Johnson & Johnson commercial. Featured prominently in Max Factor cosmetics ads, Bleeth was already a recognizable television ad-girl when she began attending high school at New York's United Nations International School. Roles in such television soap operas as Ryan's Hope and One Life to Live proved that she was more than just another pretty face, and in 1994 she found the perfect platform for both her beauty and talents when she landed the role of lifeguard Caroline Holden on the international television hit Baywatch. Also appearing in such made-for-television movies as A Face to Die For and Talk to Me (both 1996), her three-year stint on Baywatch came during the show's peak popularity and provided the comely actress with maximum small-screen exposure. A recurring role in the popular prime-time actioner Nash Bridges followed on the heels of her departure from Baywatch, and subsequent film and television roles hinted toward Bleeth's growing popularity and ability to draw an audience. It was the month before her debut on Aaron Spelling's television drama Titans that Bleeth was arrested in Romulus, MI, and brought up on charges of intoxicated driving and a felony cocaine-possession charge when police discovered multiple syringes in addition to liquid cocaine in her car after Bleeth failed a routine roadside sobriety test. A shocking photograph of Bleeth following a 36-hour drug bender showed that cocaine had ravaged the actress once voted one of the 50 most beautiful people ever by People Magazine, and rumors of a downward spiral spread through the tabloids. Pleading guilty to the charges found the former Baywatch starlet avoiding jail time but getting 100 hours of community service. She met now husband Paul Cerrito in rehab, and the two moved to Arizona.

Trivia: Appeared in a music video with Billy Currington for his song "I Got a Feeling" that received a CMT Flame Worthy Award nomination for Best Celebrity Cameo. Received the Honorary Woman of Distinction award from the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America in 2007. Suffered from thyroid illness Hashimoto's thyroiditis for 10 years before she was properly diagnosed. Has participated in PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) media campaign against the use of exotic skins, lending her image. Has worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for several years. Created a popular Facebook page in 2011 called Thyroid Sexy to help raise awareness and provide support for people suffering from thyroid disease. Published her book Beautiful Inside and Out: Conquering Thyroid Disease with a Healthy, Happy, "Thyroid Sexy" Life in 2013.

Trivia: Is of Iraqi Turkish and Finnish descent.Served as a legislative aid to US Congressman Gerry Studds (MA) prior to moving to California to pursue acting.Was chosen by People Magazine for their 50 Most Beautiful People in the World list in 1997.Was once awarded Environmentalist of the Year by Surfrider Foundation.Is an activist for coastal awareness and has been actively involved with Unicef and the Waterkeeper Alliance.Is a committed animal advocate and has been on the board of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

Trivia: Made her screen debut in a music video for "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Major breakthrough role was as Jordan Tate, Baywatch's first African-American cast member (and was based on real-life lifeguard Ingrid Walters). Has appeared on four separate reality shows: The Surreal Life, Celebrity Big Brother, Surreal Life: Fame Games, and Gimme My Reality Show! A decade after starring on Baywatch with David Hasselhoff, she participated in Comedy Central's Roast of David Hasselhoff. Is a long-time member of PETA, and participated in their "I'd Rather Be Naked Than Wear Fur" promotional campaign.

Trivia: Perhaps more famous for her physical attributes than for her talent, Carmen Electra managed to parlay a stint as an MTV game show hostess into a career as a TV and movie actress. Born Tara Leigh Patrick and raised in Ohio, Electra left her performing arts high school with plans to become a singer. After a failed album for Prince's Paisley Park label in the early '90s, however, Electra shifted direction. Along with her first Playboy spread, the aspiring entertainer scored her career breakthrough when she replaced Jenny McCarthy as the co-host of MTV's highly-rated dating game Singled Out in 1996. After the show went off the air, Electra successfully stepped in for another buxom TV blonde when she took over lifeguarding duties from Pamela Anderson on the syndicated hit Baywatch from 1997 to 1998. Elektra moved to features with a bit part in the comedy Good Burger (1997) and larger roles in indie movies Starf*cker (1998), The Chosen One: The Legend of the Raven (1998), and Starstruck (1999). It was Electra's infamous several-day marriage to flamboyant basketball star Dennis Rodman in 1998, though, that further augmented her celebrity. Keeping her assets and tabloid fame in humorous perspective, Electra followed her role as what else, The Female, in the mockumentary The Mating Habits of Earthbound Humans (1999) with a self-parodic turn as the bodacious first victim in the hit horror send-up Scary Movie (2000).While Elektra failed to land any big successes in the ensuing handful of years, 2004 saw her emerge again, gaining notice on both the large and small screens. In the wake of such hit shows as The Osbournes, The Anna Nicole Show, and, most notably, Newlyweds, Elektra and husband-to-be Dave Navarro agreed to let an MTV camera crew record their lives for the reality show Til Death Do Us Part. Meanwhile, she also showed up to steal a few scenes in the tongue-in-cheek feature-film version of Starsky and Hutch. She appeared on Scary Movie 4 in 2006, and took on roles for a variety of unremarkable comedies throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s. Elektra has also worked as a fitness instructor in a series of aerobic striptease workout programs.

Trivia: Decided to try modeling to ease the financial burden of his college tuition.Moved to New York a month after graduating from college.Replaced Mark Wahlberg as Calvin Klein's underwear model.Author of the book Other Man: John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette, and Me.Former national spokesperson for the anti-drug children's program D.A.R.E.In 2001, started a career in real estate.

Trivia: Actress Brooke Burns has sustained an extremely varied career in fiction films, sitcoms, series dramas, and reality television programs. Burns began her career with a temporary television role -- that of "idealized" woman Jennifer Higgin -- on David E. Kelley's surrealistic comedy drama Ally McBeal (1997). The next year, Burns scored a part on the long-running series Baywatch as lifeguard Jessie Owens, playing the character for over two seasons (1998-2001). After Baywatch, Burns made her way into film work with a small role in Peter and Bobby Farrelly's comedy Shallow Hal, playing Katrina -- an unfortunate girl with a model build but an unsightly visage, who suddenly, "magically" gains a sexy countenance under the retooled mind of the superficial Hal (Jack Black). The physical nature of the part (it required Burns to wear a hideous prosthetic nose and gobs of grotesque makeup) both demonstrated Burns' courageous willingness to play with her onscreen image and made an indelible impression with viewers, by its very unforgettable nature. The actress returned to the limelight in a much different capacity, as hostess of the short-lived U.S. "reality" game show Dog Eat Dog -- a kind of adult spin on Double Dare with contestants attempting to outdo each other in various physical and mental challenges. Burns then took on regular roles on two prime-time series dramas: the 2004 North Shore and the 2006 Pepper Dennis. Unfortunately, both series didn't make it past their first seasons. In 2008, she was cast in another regular television role, on the sitcom Miss Guided, but it was similarly short-lived.Burns has a daughter, Madison, by actor Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck) whom she married in 1999 and divorced two years later. She also dated movie star Bruce Willis from 2003 to 2004, and was briefly engaged to him. The actress made national headlines in November 2005 given her involvement in a freak diving accident that fractured the upper vertebrae in her neck and brought her within an inch of permanent paralysis; she sustained irreparable interior physical damage but miraculously survived without permanent disability.