Matthew Felker is behind the camera for his latest project, but it wasn’t that long ago that he was acting on the silver screen.
44-year-old director and executive producer of new documentaries After Baywatch: A Moment in the Sun — premiering Aug. 28 on Hulu — recently reminisced with PEOPLE about 20 years ago, when he starred in Britney Spears’ “Toxic” music video as a fledgling model and actor.
“That’s actually one of the reasons I was able to relate to the actors,” Felker told PEOPLE about how his music video experience helped him connect with the actors in After Baywatch. “Granted, I wasn’t on the biggest TV show in the world, but it was a moment in pop culture, that video, and that’s your 15 minutes of fame.”
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Matthew Felker and Britney Spears in the ‘Toxic’ video.
Britney Spears/YouTube
Felker, who fiercely makes out with Spears in the memorable 2024 music video, embraces how he made his name in the entertainment industry.
“A lot of people struggle against the things they’ve become known for,” the director said. “There are a lot of actors with [Baywatch] who shy away from it because they don’t want to be known for it. The Britney Spears thing is flattering. If anyone remembers or knows about it, that’s great.”
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Like the ones on the original Baywatch — including Pamela Anderson and Jason Mamo — Felker came to Hollywood after being discovered as a model with a dream.
“I just moved to California. I just got off the boat from Wisconsin and showed up at Universal to do it,” the model-turned-director recalled of the music video shoot. “So yeah, being from the Midwest and not having family ties in the media, I just kind of came here with a dream and showed up on that set. She was still the world’s biggest pop star back then. So it was very surreal.”
Although Felker has other initiatives to focus on, he said he is reminded from time to time of when he was in his 20s and making out with one Britney Spears.
“I mean, it’s going to be on social media or someone who went to high school [with me]will send or will send [the] Making a video from MTV,” he said.
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Giving voice to the stars Baywatch in his new documentary series, Felker said it’s important to show that “life happens” to everyone, no matter how much you try to control it.
“Just because you’re a beautiful person doesn’t mean life can’t happen,” said the executive producer and director. “Life happens to a lot of people and we see it.”
After Baywatch: A Moment in the Sun premieres Wednesday, August 28, on Hulu.
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Source: HIS Education