Actor David Chokachi (“Baywatch”) remembered his fellow co-star, the late but great Michael “Newmie” Newman, who passed away on October 20th, 2024, at the age of 68.
A real-life lifeguard and firefighter, Newman was battling Parkinson’s for the last 18 years.
“Newmie, I was blessed to have you in my life, as a friend, a mentor, and an inspiration; to always train hard, live life to the fullest, laugh as much as possible, and cherish your time with your family,” Chokachi posted on social media.
Chokachi continued, “When I landed the role of Cody Madison on Baywatch, you were the one who gave me day one of lifeguard training and I come from an ocean background but it was still extremely humbling. I was smart enough to follow your cues, because anytime we had a block of free time while shooting, you would always say, ‘Chokes, want to go train/paddle,’ and of course, I was like ‘heck yeah,’ because it was an opportunity to continue to learn and train with a World Champion Lifeguard competitor.”
“My favorite days on the show were when it would be you and I shooting second unit, which meant lots of high speed action, driving the scarabs (the high speed rescue boats) full throttle and turning them on a dime close to Venice pier for a rescue, chasing bad guys on the wave runners, fighting bad guys while scuba diving in the open ocean, or charging through high surf to make multiple rescues,” Chokachi recalled.
“So many amazing moments I was lucky enough to share with this beautiful human being! It doesn’t seem real that you’re gone and in a sense you’re not, because you will always live on in my heart and the thousands of others who you positively impacted! I love you brother!” Chockachi exclaimed in a subsequent post.
“Even when stunts seemed a little sketchy, I never worried when I was with you because I knew you were always watching, ready to pounce if something went wrong. I can’t say enough, except, I love you and I will miss you so very much! #RIP Michael Newman,” Chokachi added.
Michael Newman’s life story (and battle with Parkinson’s) is spotlighted in the Hulu docuseries “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun,” which was directed by Matthew Felker.
To make a donation in memory of Michael Newman, please visit the Michael J. Fox Foundation official website (to help find a cure for Parkinson’s).
For more information on “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun,” follow its Instagram page (and stream the show on Hulu).
