Category - Obituary
‘Baywatch’ Star Dead at 68 After Protracted Illness
Baywatch star Michael Newman has died at the age of 68, multiple outlets have reported, after battling Parkinson’s for nearly 20 years.
Newman’s friend Matt Felker confirmed to People that the actor passed away "from heart complications" on Sunday evening "surrounded by his family and friends." Felker, who directed Hulu’s documentary After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, recalled visiting his friend for the last time. "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.’”
Newman’s role on Baywatch was notable for several reasons, foremost being that he was actually a lifeguard before turning to acting. Newman played the similarly named Mike “Newmie” Newman on 150 episodes of the immensely popular series between 1989 and 2001, marking more appearances on the show than any cast member besides star David Hasslehoff. Newman was also a firefighter and balanced his acting gig with a full-time job at the firehouse. When Baywatch ended, Newman continued his career in firefighting.
Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2006 at age 50. In recent years, he had been working with the Michael J. Fox foundation with the hopes of finding a cure for the disease. While promoting Moment in the Sun back in August, Newman told People that "the telling of my personal story brings awareness to the importance of finding a Parkinson’s cure."
"This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time,” Newman said, “which I maybe didn’t want, but it’s brought me wisdom…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."
"Life is short," Newman added. "It is something I didn’t often give myself a chance to think about before my Parkinson’s diagnosis."
Newman is survived by his wife of 36 years, Sarah, and their children Chris and Emily, as well as their one-year-old granddaughter.