On Baywatch's 35th Anniversary, Carmen Electra Talks Difficult Stunts — and Sends 'Respect' to David Hasselhoff

It’s been 35 years since babes and bros of Baywatch limited to American TV screens. The Southern California rescue team series was already a syndicated hit in 1997. But Carmen Electra remembers the show’s producers and directors upping the ante for her and other new cast members who joined the show as new recruits in season eight.

“Our producer and directors wanted us to do as many of our own stunts as possible,” the 52-year-old actress recently told PEOPLE. “They kept pushing for it because I think it was something people complained about in the past. So, when our new cast was formed, we were part of a rookie class that has to learn everything from scratch.”

“And so we ran and ran and ran. And we had to jump over the water, dive into it, swim, whatever was necessary to see if you could be a lifesaver,” Electra recalled. “And my character was supposed to be that savior, so I remember when we would have scenes that were being performed, sometimes I had these guys, obviously these strong guys, who would bypass me.”

Carmen Electra in ‘Baywatch’.

Pearson Television

Carmen Electra reveals that she wore another cast member’s red swimsuit Baywatch: ‘It was kind of cool’ (Exclusive)

Electra recalled that when she fell behind in those scenes, the show’s director would have to find ways to make it look like her character was keeping up. “They would stop for a bit, move me up, start again. Or say, ‘Hey guys, run a little slower,'” she recalled. “And I ran as fast as I could. And the heat! The sun would be so hot it would burn your legs, but you have to deal with it.”

Electra said that one of the first things she was asked when auditioning for the show was if she could swim. “I said, ‘Yes, of course I can,'” she recalled. “The thing is, I’m good in the pool. I mean, I was a gymnast and trained in classical ballet most of my life, and I grew up swimming in friends’ pools and in the river and stuff, the Ohio River, little swimming parks.”

Carmen Electra in ‘Baywatch’.

Pearson Television

“When we were practicing and actually getting in the water, it was really hard at times,” she continued. “Eventually I would get through things, but it always felt like a huge accomplishment. If I could dive from a speeding boat with a rescue camera, do a tandem dive with two other people right on time, that was a great achievement for me. Doing the surfing and tandem surfing scenes, which was really scary.”

“There were a lot of scenes that I struggled with,” Electra said.

One aspect of the job she never understood was how to keep water from running up her nose while swimming. “I could never understand how you throw water out and still hold your breath,” she said. “It’s always been a strange thing to me that I’ve never really understood.”

Despite the challenges, Electra said, “When I would do a scene and it was completely successful, it felt like a huge accomplishment, and those times were really good.”

The cast Baywatch: Where are they now?

Carmen Electra in an episode of ‘Baywatch’ from 1997.

Getty

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During a panel at 90s Con in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 14, Electra elaborated on the stunts — and noted the extra level of difficulty they require.

“You get out of the water and [your eyes] it’s burning and you’re trying to look hot at the same time,” she said with a laugh. Plus, “the slow motion was so funny to me.”

However, the hard work also gave her a sense of gratitude.

“I have so much respect for David Hasselhoff — that was his show — and the cast that did it for so long. It was tough, it was tough.”

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