Alexandra Paul, who played lifeguard Stephanie Holden on “Baywatch” from 1992 to 1997, is one of several original cast members of the much-maligned NBC drama who feels that the beach and bikini show didn’t get enough credit back in the day.
Paul reminisces about the Malibu beach series in Hulu’s four-episode docuseries “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun,” along with fellow cast members Nicole Eggert, Erika Eleniak, David Chokachi, Carmen Electra, Jeremy Jackson, Traci Bingham and Billy Warlock.
In a video interview with TheWrap, Paul said that “Baywatch” was ahead of its time for giving women’s characters equal importance as men.
“It actually was a show where the women had the exact same roles as the men. We had as many rescues as the men, we drove the boats like the men,” said Paul, citing how different that was from other ’90s movies or TV shows, where “women were relegated to being sort of arm pieces for men.
“We, as female lifeguards were doing the rescues ourselves, and we didn’t need a guy” — she paused and apologized to castmate Warlock, who was sitting next to her — “sorry, Billy, to rescue those people, and that to me, was a really positive thing to be shown in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran and China, where women might not have had the same kind of gender equality.”
That’s when Warlock and Eleniak simultaneously pointed to Paul as the actor quipped, “If ‘Baywatch’ was ever looking for a spokesperson for the show…”
The series from writer/director Matthew Welker in collaboration with ABC News Studios features exclusive cast and creator interviews and never-before-seen home movies from several of the actors.
Eggert also produces alongside executive producer Ari Shofet. For ABC News Studios, David Sloan is the senior executive producer, and Muriel Pearson is executive producer. ABC News Studios is led by Mike Kelley, and Reena Mehta is the SVP of Streaming and Digital Content.
“After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” is now streaming on Hulu.
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