Jeremy Jackson remembers being cast in ‘Baywatch’ as ​​Leonardo DiCaprio

Jeremy Jackson beat out several famous faces to land his role as Hobie Buchannon in the hit show Baywatch – including the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio.

“I actually didn’t even know [about that until] many years later,” Jackson, 43, shared exclusively We weekly at the premiere of After Baywatch: Moment in the sun on Monday, August 26. The actor noted that when he auditioned for the show, he, DiCaprio, Jonathan Brandis and more child stars often competed for the same roles.

“There are a lot of young actors around the same age who were just about as cute and sultry [style with a] small edge,” he explained. “It was always a matter of rear-end collision. So you know, it’s just the one I have. It’s the luck of the draw.”

Jackson took over the role of Hobie from Brandon call after season 1 of Baywatch in 1989 and remained in the role through 1999. (Baywatch ended its run after 11 seasons in 2001.)

Related: Original ‘Baywatch’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

The red bathing suits, tan bodies and slow-motion running make Baywatch impossible to forget – even decades after it originally aired. Baywatch followed lifeguards on a beach in California (and later Hawaii) as they saved innocent people from drowning, sharks, and the occasional serial killer. The drama first premiered on NBC in 1989 and ran ahead […]

“I was born to entertain, man. From the age of 1 I did imitations, danced and sang. It’s all I ever wanted to do,” Jackson said of his early career days, noting that acting never felt like a “job” to him. “Baywatch it became a big hit, and then I went out and did music tours and put out an album. So it was like a dream come true for me.

Jackson’s time is over Baywatch made him the show’s second-longest running cast member, next to his on-screen father, David Hasselhoff.

“I was a fatherless, hyperactive 10-year-old kid, so I probably felt like a tick to David,” Jackson said. Us from working with Hasselhoff, who played the iconic lifeguard Mitch Buchannon. “You know, he had beautiful girls calling after him, and he’s signing autographs, and he’s the big man on campus, and I’m like, pulling his jacket, like, ‘Hey, you wanna play? Do you want to surf? Can I have lunch in your trailer?’ [He was probably like] ‘Gosh, this boy. I’m like a 30-year-old guy trying to be a superstar, so I probably drove him crazy.”

Despite their early differences, Jackson said Hasselhoff, 72, has become “like a big brother to me” over time. “[There were] lots of practical jokes, lots of games, lots of fun. But he really reached out, reached out, you know, went to his house and hung out with him and stuff like that. And now later it is beautiful,” he said. “We’ve both been sober for a few years, and we exchange readings and supportive text messages and things like that every day.”

Jackson is one of many cast members who are opening up about the highs and lows of their lives Baywatch experience in the new Hulu docuseries After Baywatch: Moment in the sun.

Related: Blast from the past! Jason Momoa, More Stars You Forgot Were on ‘Baywatch’

Malibu Beach was a star-studded destination! Baywatch made David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson and more actors become household names in the ’90s, but several celebrities appeared on the popular drama before it hit the big time in Hollywood. For example, Jason Momoa looked unrecognizable compared to his modern scruffy self when he debuted on the series as Jason Ioane. […]

“Believe it or not, it was a huge group effort to do this,” he said Us of the docuseries, in which he discusses his struggle with addiction. “I mean, for five years we lived through COVID. We have seen people get cancer. I almost killed myself five years ago trying to get into shape for the shoot that didn’t even happen. Once we went with the flow a bit, it all came together. It came together in a way that was better than anyone could have ever planned.”

He added: “I mean, from all the home footage we’ve collected. Thanks to the time we actually had, it became a real project piece.”

After Baywatch: Moment in the sun is currently streaming on Hulu.

With reporting by Mariel Turner