"Baywatch" actor Michael Newman, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006, died Sunday, his director and friend confirmed. He was 68.
Matthew Felker, Newman's close friend and director of the recent Hulu docuseries "After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun," confirmed the news Monday on Instagram.
Felker said there were times he wanted to quit creating the docuseries, but then he "remembered Mike" and "couldn't let him down." He also said that before Newman died, he read him letters and played videos from friends from all walks of life, so "he knew he was loved."
"I lost my friend. A hero. My hero," he wrote. "Thanks for coming into my life Newmie. Even if it was a brief time."
Felker told People magazine that Newman died Sunday night of "heart complications," surrounded by friends and family.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 50, Newman revealed what life with the disease was like in the docuseries, which profiled cast members' lives after they starred in "Baywatch." He said he'd often wake up "jittery" after having taken 10 medications a day.
Newman spent years before his death raising money with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help find a cure.
Born in Los Angeles, he rose to stardom in the '90s as the beloved lifeguard Mike "Newmie" Newman on "Baywatch" and was the only cast member with real-life lifeguarding experience. Over the course of the show’s 1989-2001 run, he appeared in 150 episodes — second only to David Hasselhoff.
"Baywatch" centered on a team of lifeguards, led by Lt. Mitch Buchannon (Hasselhoff), as they saved lives, managed personal dramas, combated crime and adventured along the shores of Los Angeles. Newman shared the screen with Pamela Anderson, Nicole Eggert, Yasmine Bleeth and Jeremy Jackson.
He was also a full-time firefighter, balancing his duties at the firehouse with his filming schedule. After the series concluded, he continued firefighting for another 25 years before he retired.
He reprised his role as Newmie in three episodes of the 1995 spinoff series "Baywatch Nights."
Newman is survived by his wife, Sarah, whom he married 36 years ago; his grown children, Chris and Emily; and his 1-year-old granddaughter, Charlie.
