Before slow-motion beach runs became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, Baywatch was simply a risky television experiment about California lifeguards trying to save lives under the sun. For original cast member Erika Eleniak, signing on to the series meant stepping into something completely unfamiliar.
“It was pretty grueling,” Eleniak recalls of the audition process that eventually landed her the role of rookie lifeguard Shauni McClain. “I feel like I had about six auditions. You go through casting, then producers and directors, then the network. Then they pair you up with other actors to see what the chemistry is like. It was a really long process.”