You know the image. The slow-motion run. The bright red high-cut swimsuit. The blonde hair catching the California sun. When people ask who played CJ on Baywatch, the answer is basically synonymous with 1990s pop culture.
Pamela Anderson.
She didn't just play a character; she became the face of a global phenomenon that, at its peak, reached over a billion viewers across 140 countries. Honestly, it’s hard to overstate how much her portrayal of C.J. Parker changed the trajectory of the show. Before she arrived in Season 3, Baywatch was actually a struggling series that had already been canceled by NBC after just one season. It only survived because David Hasselhoff and the creators believed in it enough to push it into first-run syndication. Then came Pam.
The Arrival of C.J. Parker
Pamela Anderson joined the cast in 1992. By that point, she was already a known commodity in the modeling world, but Baywatch turned her into an icon. She played Casey Jean "C.J." Parker, a character who was portrayed as more than just a lifeguard. C.J. was the spiritual heart of the team. She was into crystals, meditation, and had a sort of "California dream girl" mysticism about her that fans absolutely loved.
It’s kinda funny looking back at how she got the role. She wasn't an actress with a deep resume. She was the "Labatt’s Blue Girl" first, discovered on a jumbotron at a Canadian football game. Then came Playboy. When she stepped onto the set of Baywatch, the chemistry was instant. She wasn't just there to look good in a swimsuit—though, let's be real, that was a huge part of the marketing—she brought a genuine warmth to the role.
The red swimsuit she wore? It actually became a piece of television history. Anderson has mentioned in several interviews, including her 2023 documentary Pamela, a Love Story, that she still has one of those original suits. And yeah, it still fits.
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Why Pamela Anderson Defined the Role
There’s a reason why, even after dozens of other actors joined the rotating cast of lifeguards over 11 seasons, Anderson is the one everyone remembers. She stayed on the show from 1992 until 1997. Five years. That’s a long time in TV land.
During her tenure, the show's ratings exploded. It wasn't just about the beach. It was the soap opera drama mixed with high-stakes rescues. C.J. Parker was often at the center of the most memorable arcs. Remember the episode where she had to rescue a group of people from a sinking boat while dealing with her own personal drama? Or her relationship with Cody Madison (played by David Chokachi)? People were invested.
The Competition for the Suit
Believe it or not, Anderson wasn't the only person considered for the "blonde bombshell" archetype on the show. Throughout its run, other famous faces like Erika Eleniak (Shauni McClain) and Gena Lee Nolin (Neely Capshaw) held major roles. But Anderson had a specific "it" factor.
- Erika Eleniak: She was the original lead female lifeguard, but she left just as Anderson was coming in.
- Nicole Eggert: Played Summer Quinn. There was often rumored tension on set regarding who was the "top" star, though much of that was likely fueled by tabloid gossip.
- Yasmine Bleeth: Played Caroline Holden. She and Anderson formed the core of the show’s most successful era.
The production was grueling. People think it was all just lounging on sand, but the actors spent hours in the water. The "Baywatch tilt"—where they would stand a certain way to look better on camera—was a real thing they had to master.
Beyond the Original Series: The 2017 Movie
Fast forward a few decades. Hollywood decides to reboot Baywatch as a big-budget action comedy starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Zac Efron. Naturally, everyone wanted to know: who is playing C.J. Parker now?
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The role went to Kelly Rohrbach.
She had big shoes (or a small swimsuit) to fill. Rohrbach, a model and actress, did a great job leaning into the comedic side of the character. But the creators knew they couldn't do a Baywatch movie without the original. Pamela Anderson made a cameo appearance toward the end of the film, appearing in slow motion (of course) as the new Captain of the lifeguards. It was a passing of the torch, though for many fans, there will only ever be one C.J.
The "Baywatch" Legacy and Cultural Impact
It is easy to dismiss the show as "trashy TV," but you have to look at the numbers. At one point, it was the most-watched show on the planet. It defined a specific aesthetic of the 90s. The slow-motion running wasn't actually a creative choice at first—it was a way to pad the episodes because they didn't have enough footage for the runtime. It ended up becoming the show's most famous trope.
Who played CJ on Baywatch matters because that character helped change how women were marketed on television. Anderson used the platform to launch a career that has spanned decades, moving from TV star to activist and Broadway performer (her run as Roxie Hart in Chicago was actually critically acclaimed).
Surprising Facts About C.J. Parker
- The Swimsuit Fit: The suits were famously tight. The wardrobe department often had to use "butt tape" to keep them in place during action scenes.
- C.J.’s Name: The initials stood for Casey Jean.
- The Hair: Anderson did much of her own styling on set. That messy beach blonde look? That was mostly her.
- The Salary: While the show was a global hit, the actors weren't always paid like Friends stars. Much of the budget went into the logistics of filming on water.
Where is the Cast Now?
If you are looking for the original C.J. today, you won't find her on a beach in Malibu. Pamela Anderson has largely retreated to her home in Ladysmith, British Columbia. She’s focused on her foundation and writing. Her memoir, With Love, Pamela, went into great detail about her time on the show, describing it as a period of intense work and intense scrutiny.
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David Hasselhoff is still... well, The Hoff. He’s huge in Germany and continues to lean into his legendary status.
Jeremy Jackson, who played C.J.’s frequent young co-star Hobie Buchannon, has had a well-documented struggle with the pitfalls of child stardom but has since worked toward recovery and fitness coaching.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're a fan of the show or looking to dive deeper into the history of who played CJ on Baywatch, here is what you should do next:
- Watch the Documentary: Check out Pamela, a Love Story on Netflix. It gives the most honest, unfiltered look at her life during the Baywatch years.
- Look for Remastered Episodes: The original series was recently remastered in 4K. The colors and the California scenery look incredible compared to the grainy 90s broadcasts.
- Visit the Locations: If you are ever in Los Angeles, Will Rogers State Beach is the primary filming location for the original headquarters. It looks surprisingly similar to how it did thirty years ago.
- Understand the Context: Remember that Baywatch was a product of its time. It’s a fascinating time capsule of 90s fashion, music, and social attitudes.
The role of C.J. Parker remains a cornerstone of TV history. It was the perfect alignment of the right actor at the right time in the right setting. While others have stepped into the red suit, the shadow cast by Pamela Anderson’s version of the character is long, sun-drenched, and unlikely to be forgotten any time soon.
To truly understand the show, you have to look past the surface-level tropes. It was a masterclass in syndication marketing. It proved that a show could fail on a major network and still conquer the world. And at the center of that conquest was a blonde lifeguard named C.J. Parker, making sure the beach—and the audience—stayed safe and entertained.
Identify the era you're interested in before buying merchandise. The "Season 3-7" items featuring Anderson are the most valuable for collectors. Original posters and signed memorabilia from this specific five-year window fetch the highest prices at auction because that is considered the "Golden Age" of the series. Always verify signatures through a reputable third-party authenticator like PSA/DNA, as the market is flooded with fakes from the late 90s era.