'David Michael Hasselhoff' (born
July 17,
1952 in
Baltimore,
Maryland), nicknamed "'The Hoff'", is an American actor who is best known for his lead roles on ''
Knight Rider'' and ''
Baywatch''. He also crossed over to a successful music career, primarily in
Germany,
Austria and
Switzerland.
Early acting career
Hasselhoff's first major role was portraying Dr. William "Snapper" Foster, Jr. on the
soap opera ''
The Young and the Restless'' from 1975-82. He later went on to star as Michael Knight in the
Glen A. Larson-created series ''
Knight Rider'' from 1982 to 1986.
European popularity
While his star rose, fell and rose again in the US, Hasselhoff remained very popular in much of Europe. His music was more popular there than in the US, and his hit song "
Looking for Freedom" became something of an anthem for the defeat of communist regimes in eastern Europe.
[1]. This European popularity became something of an in joke,
Norm MacDonald was known for stating on numerous occasions that "Germans love David Hasselhoff" on
Saturday Night Live and is referenced in the film '' where Hasselhoff is shown as the demanding coach of the German team.
Taking back ''Baywatch''
Hasselhoff returned to television on
Baywatch which premiered in 1989. Although it was canceled after only one season, he believed the series had potential, so Hasselhoff revived it for the first-run syndication market in 1991, investing his own money and additionally functioning as
executive producer.
His contract stipulated royalties to be paid to him from the rerun profits, which gave him the financial liberty to buy back the rights to ''Baywatch'' from
NBC.
In its second incarnation, ''Baywatch'' was much more successful. It ran in syndication for another ten seasons. It was also well-received internationally and has been shown in over 140 countries around the world. According to the
Guinness Book of World Records, ''Baywatch'' is the most watched TV show in the world, with over 1.1 billion viewers.
This success combined with his royalties and his other ventures have placed Hasselhoff's fortune at more than $100,000,000.
[2]
Later career
In 1994, he was scheduled to perform a concert on
pay-per-view from Atlantic City. The concert was expected to help reignite his singing career in the United States. On the night of his concert,
O.J. Simpson was involved in a police chase on the California highway. Viewership of the concert was significantly lower than expected, due to the live coverage of the chase. Since then, Hasselhoff has not attempted another concert.
In 1996, he was given a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Beginning in
July 16,
2004, Hasselhoff played the lead role in London performances of ''
Chicago'', for three months and made his Broadway debut in 2000 in the title role of ''
Jekyll & Hyde''.
Hasselhoff has made several
self-parodic appearances in movies. He had a major appearance in ''
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'', released
November 19,
2004, starring as himself (though very much in bygone ''Baywatch'' character) and meeting
SpongeBob and
Patrick. Hasselhoff also had another short appearance in the movie '' as the
dodgeball coach to the German national dodgeball team. Berating his team after being eliminated from a tournament, he shouts "Ihr seid alle ''Schweine''!" (translated: "You are all ''pigs''!", a common German insult) and smashes a photo of himself in his ''Baywatch'' attire. In 2004's ''
Eurotrip'', Hasselhoff appears in a fantasy sequence performing his early 90s hit single "Du". In a cameo as himself in
John Waters' 2004 effort ''
A Dirty Shame'', Hasselhoff defecates in an airplane's washroom. The
2006 Adam Sandler film ''
Click'' is the first film in which Hasselhoff plays a character, as Sandler's despicable boss.
In his
music video for "
Jump in My Car", Hasselhoff again demonstrates a penchant for self-parody, this time of his performance as Michael Knight in ''
Knight Rider''. The car in the video was a black
Pontiac Trans Am with a pulsing
LED and an interior nearly identical to that of
K.I.T.T. (this video was shot in Sydney, Australia and used a right hand drive KITT replica), including an aptly-timed use of K.I.T.T.'s seat ejection system. The video plays to a skit where he asks one of three girls to "jump in his car" to take her home. The girl initially refuses but then gets in so long as he behaves politely. She suggests that he should drive quickly, because she lives down south, "about 84 miles". When she insists she is not joking, he asks her to leave the vehicle, but she refuses, so he resorts to using the ejector seat to cause her to exit.
Hasselhoff presented a musical award with
Gretel Killeen for the
Australian Recording Industry Association on Sunday
October 23,
2005 in
Sydney.He was recently signed to
Pepsi appearing in a massive outdoor campaign in January 2006. He was scheduled to tour Australia with his band mid-2006.
Hasselhoff has also become something of an Internet phenomenon, mostly as a subject of fun. Numerous websites have appeared and there is currently a campaign to get him a number one single in the
UK.
In May 2006, Hasselhoff returned to the spotlight after he was mentioned in an interview of
Dirk Nowitzki, an
NBA star playing for the
Dallas Mavericks and a native of Germany. Nowitzki was asked what he does to concentrate when shooting foul shots. Dirk replied that he sings "Looking for Freedom" to himself. He meant this as a joke but it was thought to be a serious answer. Shortly thereafter, Hasselhoff attended the
May 26,
2006 Mavericks home playoff game where they faced the
Phoenix Suns in the NBA Western Conference Finals. Interviewed by
Craig Sager, Hasselhoff stated he was as much a fan of Nowitzki as Nowitzki was a fan of him. In The
2006 NBA Finals, fans of the
Miami Heat in the
American Airlines Arena held up facial photos of Hasselhoff and chanted his name when Nowitzki went to the foul line.
Late 2006, a musical based on his life called ''David Hasselhoff: The Musical'' will open in Australia before moving to the United States. Hasselhoff describes it as "totally
campy".
[1]
On
August 2,
2006, Hasselhoff
proclaimed himself king of the internet in a tongue-in-cheek advertisement commercial for
Pipex which ironically has attracted some
blunt online criticism.
In September 2006 he appeared in a radio interview with
Gerard Gilroy on The Breakfast Show on
Dublin's
Newstalk 106, pushed his book on The Tubridy Tonight Show on RTE1, and sang and
spoke to Grant Lauchlan of
STV, where he revealed that he would like to play a concert in the future at Scotland's Edinburgh Castle.
In November 2006,
Mel Brooks announced Hasselhoff would portray Roger DeBris, the director of the
Nazi musical ''
Springtime for Hitler'', in the
Las Vegas production of ''
The Producers''.
[2]
Throughout the summer of 2006, Hasselhoff, along with
Grammy-winning singer/actress
Brandy Norwood and British media icon
Piers Morgan was a co-judge on
NBC's ''
America's Got Talent'', a program that showcased America's best amateur entertainers. He is currently appearing in the second season of ''
America's Got Talent'' along side
Sharon Osbourne and
Piers Morgan. On the 2007 season finale, Hasselhoff sang "This is the moment."
Personal life
After dropping out of Atlanta's
Marist High School, Hasselhoff attended and graduated high school at
Lyons Township High School in
La Grange, Illinois. He studied at
California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California.
Hasselhoff was married to actress
Catherine Hickland from
March 24,
1984 to
March 1,
1989, when they divorced. Their marriage was recreated in
Knight Rider Season 4 (Episode ''The Scent of Roses'' which first aired on
January 3,
1986).
Before his divorce with
Catherine Hickland, while they were separated, Hasselhoff dated Linda Butsnik, now
Linda Morris, of Carrollton, Georgia.
Hasselhoff married
actress Pamela Bach on
December 9,
1989, and the couple had two daughters,
Taylor Ann Hasselhoff (born
May 5,
1990) and Hayley Amber Hasselhoff (born
August 26,
1992). Although Hasselhoff was raised
Roman Catholic, he and his family attended non-denominational church services.
On
January 13,
2006, Hasselhoff announced that he was filing for divorce from Bach after 16 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. His publicist has stated that the couple has agreed to an amicable settlement. However, on
March 9,
2006, Bach accused Hasselhoff of
violent behavior towards her.
[3] Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark A. Juhas signed the order
March 6,
2006 ordering the former ''Baywatch'' star to stay at least 100 yards (91 m) from Bach except for "peaceful contacts related to court ordered visitation" of their children. Pamela is seeking
sole custody of their two daughters.
Hasselhoff's autobiography, called "Making Waves," was released in the United Kingdom in September 2006.
In an interview in April 2006, he promised that the book would present the "last chapter" regarding controversial elements of his personal life.
Regarding his popularity, David Hasselhoff has said: “There are many dying children out there whose last wish is to meet me.”
[3]
On
June 29,
2006, Hasselhoff suffered a freak injury when he hit his hand on a glass shelf (some reports say a
chandelier) while
shaving in his
London hotel's gym bathroom. The broken glass severed a tendon in Hasselhoff's right hand, and surgery was performed that day to repair the damage. Hasselhoff was released from the hospital the following day and was reported to be doing fine.
[4]
Alcohol problems
Hasselhoff began receiving media attention in 2002 for drinking problems. He soon after attended a rehabilitation clinic.
His problems with
alcohol abuse apparently continued, as he was arrested on
June 5,
2004, on suspicion of
misdemeanor driving under the influence. Hasselhoff was
bailed out with $15,000 and his lawyer once requested the case be continued and the arraignment was postponed to
October 28,
2004. On that court day, his lawyer entered his
no contest plea while he was absent from the court hearing. He was fined $390 (due to California's "Alcohol Abuse Education and Prevention Assessment" law, and other fees, the total amount paid to the court is assumed to be over $1400), sentenced to self-supervised
probation for three years, ordered to attend
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week for 6 months, spend six months in a
DUI program (several hundred more dollars), and to perform 200 hours of community service. While his
driver's license was restricted for the next 90 days, he could drive only to his work, to take his children to school, and to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
In 2006, Hasselhoff was allegedly thrown out of a
Wimbledon, London court-bar for drinking and rioting. However, Katie Rowley who runs the Wimbledon Championship, denies this.
[5]
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Hasselhoff also denied being ejected by The All England Club. "The tabloids make so much stuff up," he says. "I was at Wimbledon, and they said I was escorted out drunk. ... Absolutely not. I don't drink anymore."
[6]
On
July 26,
2006, tabloids reported that Hasselhoff was publicly drunk at
Heathrow Airport and was denied boarding a plane by
British Airways. The airline only stated that a male passenger had been refused travel after being deemed unfit to travel. The following day Hasselhoff's publicist denied the allegation of Hasselhoff being drunk claiming
antibiotics had made him sick and that he voluntarily chose not to board the plane. David's best friend - Graeme Firmin - has been quoted as saying that he 'wasn't angry at the Hoff for getting drunk but he was more disappointed'. He also mentioned that it wouldn't ruin their friendship.
[7]
On
May 3,
2007, a video surfaced of Hasselhoff apparently in mid-
stupor.
[8] The new video shows him
shirtless, lying on the floor, drunkenly trying to focus on a
Wendy's hamburger in a
Las Vegas hotel room. His daughter Taylor Ann, who shot the video, can be heard saying "Tell me you are going to stop, tell me you are going to stop." The daughter also warned her father that he could be jeopardizing his spot in the Las Vegas production of The Producers.
[9] Hasselhoff issued a statement, in the wake of the leaked video, that it was released deliberately. Hasselhoff claims that it was filmed by Taylor Ann so that he could see how he appeared and acted when
intoxicated.
[7]
Hasselhoff's visitation rights with his two daughters were suspended on
May 7 2007 because of the video; the suspension lasted until
May 21 2007, at which point the video's authenticity and distributor was determined.
[11] On
May 14,
2007, a news report headlined
''"Pipex in a pickle: David Hasselhoff drunken antics last straw for $1 billion sale of UK ISP"'', questioned whether the video had impacted negatively on the sale of Pipex, a UK broadband and web hosting company. A major TV and newspaper advertising campaign in the UK for
Pipex Communications Plc features Hasselhoff as "The King of the Internet". Hasselhoff was awarded primary physical custody and full legal custody of the two girls, said Melvin Goldsman, his attorney on June 15th, 2007.
[12]
"Get Hasselhoff to Number 1"
On
April 21,
2006 fans of David Hasselhoff launched a tongue-in-cheek website "Get Hasselhoff to Number 1"
[4] in an attempt to generate the momentum required to send the 1989 hit "Looking for Freedom" to the top of the UK music charts based on Internet downloads of the single. The campaign is ongoing and has attracted attention on British radio and television broadcasts, the British national press
[5] [6] and on the Internet
[7] [8] [9]. Over 40,000 people have signed up so far. When the total number of sign-ups on the site reaches 75,000 the owners of the site will send the "Hoff Alert" email to all those who have registered alerting them that the time has come to purchase the single. The intention is that the surge in sales generated will propel the former hit to the top spot in the British chart ensuring radio plays and television appearances for Hasselhoff.
"
Jump in My Car" in the UK, the "Get Hasselhoff to Number 1" website switched the single it was promoting from "Looking for Freedom" to "
Jump in My Car". BBC Radio 1 DJ
Scott Mills has now lent his support to the campaign
[10], to get "Jump In My Car" to number one. Since this announcement, Scott Mills has played the record again, whilst describing the accompanying tongue-in-cheek music video.
On
October 3,
2006 the Hoff Alert was mailed out to over 40,000 subscribers, instructing them to buy the song in hopes that it would top the UK Singles Chart. Although this did not happen, Hasselhoff promptly gained his highest ever UK chart entry (#3) on
October 8,
2006.
Hasselhoff in interview
On
1 September,
2006, Hasselhoff gave a candid interview to
The Guardian. The interviewer wrote 'To spend an hour or so in the company of 'The Hoff' is to feel as if one is inadvertently playing a bit-part in a daytime television soap opera. It is unclear whether this has more to do with the cliched dialogue - "Life is something that happens when you're making plans", for example - or the way the lines are delivered with either brow-furrowed gravitas or uproarious laughter.'
Hasselhoff spoke of his religious beliefs - 'Amid all the adversity, whenever I had problems, God always said 'Here's
Chicago, here's a book, here's the No1 TV show, here's the No1 movie, here's a recording deal, here's two million downloads. I'm gonna make you the biggest star in the world, David, and I'm going to give you responsibility with that, and you can either take it or you can fuck it up. I fucked it up, I've taken it.'
On why his fans warmed to his shows, Hasselhoff stated 'Because I believe the camera photographs your aura, and it also photographs your heart. And I cast Baywatch that way. If you look at Baywatch, just about everybody on that show - even
Pamela Anderson - has got a great heart.'
On
Knight Rider he stated that it was more than a TV show, 'It's a phenomenon. It's bigger than Baywatch ever was.' On its success - 'It s because it was about saving lives, not taking lives, and it was how one man can make a difference. And we had a blast making it, and we made sure nobody died on the show. We made sure nobody ever drowned on Baywatch.'
He describes the acting he has done as 'a little more difficult than if you had a regularly well-written script - like, if I was going to be in, say, ''
Reservoir Dogs'', or ''
The Godfather'', or ''
Dances with Wolves'' or ''
Lawrence of Arabia'' or ''
ER''. I had to talk to a car.'
Filmography
★ ''
The Lion Roars Again'' (
1975) (short subject)
★ ''Revenge of the Cheerleaders'' (
1976)
★ ''
Starcrash'' (
1979)
★ ''
Footloose'' (
1984)
★ ''Strong Times'' (
1988)
★ ''Three Crazy Jerks II'' (
1988)
★ ''Witchery'' (
1988)
★ ''Bail Out'' (
1989)
★ ''The Final Alliance'' (
1990)
★ ''Neon City'' (
1992)
★ ''
Dear God'' (
1996)
★ ''
Legacy'' (
1998)
★ ''
The Big Tease'' (
1999)
★ ''The Target Shoots First'' (
2000)
★ ''
Welcome to Hollywood'' (
2000)
★ ''Layover'' (
2001)
★ ''
The New Guy'' (
2002)
★ ''Fugitives Run'' (
2003)
★ '' (
2004)
★ ''
A Dirty Shame'' (
2004)
★ ''
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' (
2004)
★ ''
Click'' (
2006)
★ ''
Kickin' It Old Skool'' (
2007)
Stage work
★ ''
Chicago'' (as Billy Flynn) (London)
★ ''
Jekyll & Hyde'' (as Dr. Jekyll/Hyde) (Broadway)
★ ''
Grease'' (as Danny Zucco)
★ ''
Jesus Christ Superstar'' (as
Judas Iscariot)
★ ''
The Producers'' (as Roger DeBris) (Las Vegas)
★ ''
The Rocky Horror Show'' (as Doctor Frank N. Furter) (Los Angeles)
Television work
★ ''
The Young and the Restless'' (cast member from
1975-
1982)
★ ''Griffin and Phoenix: A Love Story'' (
1976)
★ ''Pleasure Cove'' (
1979) (unsold pilot)
★ ''
Semi-Tough'' (
1980) (unsold pilot)
★ ''
Knight Rider'' (
1982-
1986)
★ ''The Cartier Affair'' (
1984)
★ ''Bridge Across Time'' (
1985)
★ ''
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake'' (
1988)
★ ''
Fire and Rain'' (
1989)
★ ''
Baywatch'' (cast member from
1989-
2000)
★ ''
Knight Rider 2000'' (
1991)
★ ''The Bulkin Trail'' (
1992)
★ ''Ring of the Musketeers'' (
1992)
★ ''Avalanche'' (
1994)
★ ''
Baywatch Nights'' (
1995-
1997)
★ ''Gridlock'' (
1996)
★ ''
Night Man'' (
1997) (pilot for series)
★ '' (
1998)
★ ''One True Love'' (
2000)
★ ''
Jekyll & Hyde'' (
2001)
★ ''Shaka Zulu: The Citadel'' (
2001)
★ ''
Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding'' (
2003)
★ ''
Still Standing'' (
2006)
★ ''
America's Got Talent'' (
2006-present)
Discography
Albums released include:
★ (2005) ''
David Hasselhoff Sings America Gold Edition''
★ (2004) ''
The Night Before Christmas''
★ (2004) ''
David Hasselhoff Sings America'' - Germany #27, Austria #11
★ (2000) ''
Magic Collection''
★ (1997) ''
Hooked on a Feeling'' - Switzerland #41
★ (1995) ''
David Hasselhoff'' - US Billboard New Artists #2
★ (1995) ''
Looking for … the Best''
★ (1994) ''
Du'' - Germany #43, Switzerland #41
★ (1993) ''
You are Everything'' - Germany #20, Switzerland #27
★ (1992) ''
Everybody Sunshine'' - Germany #21, Switzerland #17
★ (1991) ''
David'' - Germany #12, Switzerland #7
★ (1990) ''
Crazy for You'' - Switzerland #1
★ (1989) ''
Looking for Freedom - Germany #1, Switzerland #3
★ (1989) ''
Knight Lover'' - Switzerland #17
★ (1985) ''
Night Rocker''
Singles released include:
★ (2006) ''
Jump in My Car'' - Australia #50, UK #3
★ (1993) ''If I Could Only Say Goodbye'' - UK #35
★ (1993) ''Wir zwei allein'' (Duet with
Gwen) - Germany #9, Switzerland #10
★ (1992) ''Everybody Sunshine'' - Switzerland #27
★ (1991) ''Do the Limbo Dance'' - Germany #12, Switzerland #19
★ (1990) ''Crazy for You'' - Germany #18, Switzerland #21
★ (1989) ''Is Everybody Happy?'' - Germany #14, Switzerland #8
★ (1989) ''Our First Night Together'' - Switzerland #14
★ (1989) ''
Looking for Freedom'' - Germany #1, Switzerland #1, Austria #1, Netherlands #22
Additionally, the single "More Than Words Can Say", a duet with Regine Velasquez, was released in the Philippines.
See also
★
Internet phenomenon
References
1. "Did David Hasselhoff really help end the Cold War?"
2. "Former 'Baywatch' Hunk Hasselhoff Files for Divorce", ExtraTV.com, 13 January 2006
3. "Hasselhoff 'violent' claims wife", BBC, 9 March 2006
4. "Close Shave for the Hoff", E! News, June 30, 2006
5. "Hasselhoff tennis ejection denied", BBC, 5 July 2006
6. "David Hasselhoff: 'I don't drink anymore'", CNN 24 July 2006
7. Tabloid article alleging drunkenness and CNN article denying the claim.
8. David Hasselhoff Video Online: "The Hoff"s Drunken Bid To Beat Alcohol
9. "Drunk Tape Bad for Hasselhoff, but Is It Worse for His Daughter?" ABC
10. Tabloid article alleging drunkenness and CNN article denying the claim.
11. AP, "Hasselhoff's visitation rights suspended", ''USAToday.com'', 2007-05-03, Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
12. McDonald, Ray., "Actor David Hasselhoff Wins Custody of Daughters", ''VOA.com'', 2007-06-19, Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
External links
★
David Hasselhoff - Official website
★
David Hasselhoff - News, Videos, Photos
★
★
★
Hasselhoff-Friends - Official Worldwide Fanclub
★
David Hasselhoff Online ~ DH Club Of America
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