How iconic ‘Baywatch' slow-motion beach running scene came to be

New York Post

12-05-2025

Nicole Eggert is spilling some secrets.
The 'Baywatch' alum, who first joined the series during its third season in 1992, opened up about her time on the popular beach drama during an appearance on Steve Kmetko's 'Still Here Hollywood' podcast on Monday.
She discussed one of the show's most iconic scenes, which followed her running in slow motion down the beach with a rescue tube in her hand.
Advertisement
7 Nicole Eggert as Roberta 'Summer' Quinn on 'Baywatch.'
Fremantle Media/Shutterstock
7 Nicole Eggert in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 28, 2025.
FilmMagic
The clip played during the credits of every episode Eggert was in, and she revealed how that the trademark scene was not originally supposed to be in slow motion.
Advertisement
'We were the guinea pigs, the first two seasons of this new look of 'Baywatch,'' Eggert, now 53, explained. 'Nobody mentioned the slow-mo.'
While Eggert was initially filmed 'running full speed' down the beach, it wasn't until an editor began messing around with the footage that the now-iconic scene was made.
7 Pamela Anderson and Nicole Eggert on the set of 'Baywatch.'
Baywatch Co/Tower 12 Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock
'And let me tell you something, full speed running in slow motion is not cute,' she joked. 'Not cute at all.'
Advertisement
Elsewhere during her appearance on the 'Still Here Hollywood' podcast Monday, Eggert said she was originally supposed to star in a 'Baywatch' spinoff that was '90210-esque' but 'at the beach.'
Those plans were ultimately scrapped after 'Baywatch' exploded in popularity, and the actress was added to the show's third season as lifeguard Roberta 'Summer' Quinn.
7 Nicole Eggert left the role of Roberta 'Summer' Quinn on 'Baywatch' after only two seasons.
Fremantle Media/Shutterstock
Eggert 'politely bowed out' after only two seasons because it was not the series she originally signed up for, and she quickly learned that starring on 'Baywatch' was a 'mess' that left her permanently branded as a 'bimbo.'
Advertisement
'I had some crazy idea in my head that if I left the show, I would be able to detach myself from the stigma that the show had given all of us as actors, which is not a thing,' she explained.
'People have an idea of who you are, and that could be a number of things,' Eggert continued. 'And I think it's harder for people to get to know you without this preconceived notion that they have going in.'
7 The now-iconic scene of Eggert running down the beach in slow-mo was not originally shot in slow motion.
Moviestore/Shutterstock
She also said that it was 'weird' being part of the biggest show in the world while also getting 'ripped apart in the press' and realizing that 'the casting doors were not opening anymore.'
'And then all of a sudden it was like we were called 'Baywatch bimbos' and these dumb bimbos on the beach and it's T & A,' she remembered. 'And then on the other hand, you have this number-one hit on your hand, and it's like what a kerfuffle. What a mess.'
Although Eggert departed 'Baywatch' after two seasons in 1994, she later returned in 2003 for the TV movie 'Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.' Pamela Anderson, 57, also reprised her role as Casey Jean Parker for the project.
7 Eggert is currently battling Stage 2 breast cancer.
Getty Images
Before 'Baywatch,' which ran from 1989 to 2001, Eggert had recurring roles in the police drama 'T.J. Hooker' and the sitcom 'Who's the Boss?' She also starred in 'Charles in Charge.'
Advertisement
She previously opened up about her time on the beloved beach drama, as well as her shocking battle with Stage 2 breast cancer, last year.
But Eggert is not the only 'Baywatch' alum making recent headlines.
7 The 'Baywatch' alum in Santa Monica, Calif., in August 2024.
Getty Images
Her former co-star, David Hasselhoff, sparked concern earlier this month when he was seen being pushed around an airport in a wheelchair following his ex-wife's tragic suicide.
Advertisement
Hasselhoff, 72, revealed that he was in a wheelchair because he was preparing to undergo knee surgery, and his rep confirmed the upcoming operation with The Post.
'David is doing fine and actually he and [his] wife were returning from a great vacation in Cancun last week,' his rep said.