Two Original 'Baywatch' Stars Returning for Reboot

Michael Bergin and Kelly Packard will be reprising their roles as lifeguards Jack "J.D." Darius and April Giminski in the upcoming "Baywatch" reboot at Fox, Variety reports.

In the original series, Bergin had a lead role from Season 8 to Season 11. He also returned in his role for Fox's 2003 film "Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding." As for Packard, she starred in the show during the eighth and ninth seasons

Along with Bergin and Packard, David Chokachi, who also appeared in the original series, will be reprising his role as lifeguard Cody Madison. Erika Eleniak will also be back as Shauni McClain

This comes after the reboot announced that Mary McDonnell has also joined the series as a guest star. Specifically, she will play Gayle, the mother of Hobie Buchannon. According to Variety, her character is "a sophisticated woman with a wryly funny presence."

The highly anticipated reboot is set to launch on Fox in January 2027. Stephen Amell (Hobie Buchannon), Jessica Belkin (Charlie Vale), Shay Mitchell (Trina), Hassie Harrison (Nat), Thaddeus LaGrone (Brad), Brooks Nader (Selene), Noah Beck (Luke), Livvy Dunne (Grace), Nadia Gray (Lisa), and Mary McDonnell (Gayle) will star in the show.

It centers around Amell's character, Hobie Buchannon, the son of lifeguard Mitch Buchannon, who was played by David Hasselhoff in the original series. Things turn for Hobie when he discovers he has a daughter he never knew, played by Jessica Belkin, who is determined to become a lifeguard as it's part of the family legacy.

"Fans can expect all the adrenaline-fueled rescues, tangled relationships, complicated chemistry and beachside heroics that defined the original - now with an entirely new cast, contemporary trappings, tensions and challenges, and a renewed mission to protect Southern California's shoreline," the official synopsis reads.

The original series ran for 11 seasons from 1989 to 2001, starring Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, Charvet, Eleniak, and Hasselhoff.

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 2:57 PM.