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David Hasselhoff portraying his character in BaywatchDavid Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952 in Baltimore, Maryland aka The Hoff) is an American actor best known for his lead roles on Knight Rider and Baywatch. He has also enjoyed a minor singing career, primarily in Germany and Australia.

Early acting career
Having played Dr. Snapper Foster on the soap opera The Young and the Restless for six years (and around this time he posed for a series of now infamous and much sought after posters wearing only a leather jacket and black bikini briefs), he went on to star as Michael Knight in the Glen A. Larson-created series Knight Rider from 1982 to 1986. He launched his singing career with guest appearances on the children's program Kids Incorporated. He also obtained permission to produce a Knight Rider episode (Let It Be Me) focused on his singing talents, which served as a springboard for his 1985 album Night Rocker.

Singing career
Fulfilling his original dream to be a singer, he covered "Looking for Freedom" in 1989, just as the Berlin Wall came down. In Germany, his song became an anthem of sorts at the time, and the accompanying album went gold and triple platinum, topping the charts for three months.

Hasselhoff and Catherine Hickland in the Knight Rider episode Let It Be Me, which helped launch Hasselhoff's singing careerAlbums released in Germany include:

(2005) David Hasselhoff Sings America Gold Edition
(2004) The Night Before Christmas
(2004) David Hasselhoff Sings America
(2000) Magic Collection
(1997) Hooked on a Feeling
(1995) David Hasselhoff
(1995) Looking For...The Best
(1994) Du
(1993) You Are Everything
(1992) Everybody Sunshine
(1991) David
(1990) Crazy for You
(1989) Looking for Freedom
(1987) Lovin' Feelings
(1985) Night Rocker
Norm MacDonald, Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update newscaster, had a popular running joke that always ended with "Which once again proves my theory—the Germans love David Hasselhoff"

In 2004, Looking For...The Best became the highest rated CD on Amazon.com, receiving an incredible number of 5-star ratings. This was the culmination of a spontaneous internet joke that has been going on for several years, in which Amazon customers review the album. Almost all give it 5 stars and pen sarcastic reviews which include egregious misspellings of Hasselhoff's name and usually end with the phrase, The song Hot Shot City is particularly good!

In early 2005, it was reported that Hasselhoff had teamed with rapper Ice-T and was planning to record a rap album under the handle of Hassel the Hoff. As of the end of 2005, the recording had not been released.

Taking back Baywatch
His contract stipulated royalties to be paid to him from the rerun profits, which gave him the financial liberty to buy back the rights to Baywatch from NBC.

Baywatch had premiered in 1989, but was cancelled after only one season. Feeling the series had potential, Hasselhoff revived it for the first-run syndication market in 1991, investing his own money and additionally functioning as executive producer.

The success of Baywatch was enormous. Running for another ten seasons, it was also well-received internationally and is said to be the highest-grossing show in syndication worldwide.

Late career
In 1994, he was scheduled to perform a concert on pay-per-view from Atlantic City. It was supposed to help reignite his singing career in the United States. On the night of his concert, O.J. Simpson was involved in a police chase on the California highway. People who were watching the concert switched over to watch the news. Since then, Hasselhoff has not attempted another concert.

In 1996, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2004, Hasselhoff played the lead role in London performances of Chicago, for three months, starting July 16.

Hasselhoff made a cameo appearance in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, released November 19, 2004, starring as himself and meeting SpongeBob and Patrick.

Hasselhoff also had another short appearance in the movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story as, fittingly, the dodgeball coach to the German national dodgeball team. He is shown scolding the German players to play better and smashing a photo of himself in his Baywatch attire.

David presented a musical award with Gretel Killeen at the Australian version of the Grammy's - the ARIA's on Sunday 23 October 2005 in Sydney.

Hasselhoff has been married to actress Pamela Bach since December 8, 1989, with whom he has two daughters, Taylor Ann and Hayley Amber. Although Hasselhoff was raised Catholic, he and his family attend non-denominational church services. He was married to actress Catherine Hickland from March 24, 1984 to March 1, 1989, when they divorced.

Alcohol problems
Hasselhoff received media attention in 2003/2004 for an alleged drinking problem. He attended a rehabilitation program in 2002, at the Betty Ford Center.

His problems with alcohol abuse apparently continued, as he was arrested on June 5, 2004 on suspicion on driving while intoxicated as a misdemeanor in the Los Angeles area in California. On October 28, 2004, his lawyer entered his no contest plea while he was absent from the court hearing. He was fined $390 (due to California's "Alcohol Abuse Education and Prevention Assessment" law, and other fees, the total amount paid to the court is assumed to be over $1400), sentenced to self-supervised probation for 3 years, ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week for 6 months, spend six months in a DUI program (several hundred more dollars), and to perform 200 hours of community service. While his driver's license was restricted for the next 90 days, he could drive only to his work, to take his children to school, and to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

  Knight Rider (2006) (pre-production) .... Michael Knight
Click (2006) (post-production) .... Ammer

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) .... German Coach
... aka Dodgeball (USA: short title)
... aka Voll auf die Nüsse (Germany)
Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003) (TV) .... Mitch Buchannon
Fugitives Run (2003) .... Clint
... aka Ne m'appelez pas Tonto (Canada: French title)
Shaka Zulu: The Citadel (2001) (TV) .... Mungo Prentice
Layover (2001) .... Dan Morrison
Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical (2001) (TV) .... Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde
One True Love (2000) (TV) .... Mike Grant
Wave to the World (2000) (V)

Legacy (1998/I) .... Jack Scott
Nick Fury: Agent of Shield (1998) (TV) .... Colonel Nicholas 'Nick' Joseph Fury
Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay (1998) (V) .... Mitch Buchannon
NightMan (1997) (TV)
Gridlock (1996) (TV) .... Jake Gorsky
... aka Gridlock - Die Falle (Germany)
... aka Obstruction (Canada: French title)
"Baywatch Nights" (1995) TV Series .... Mitch Buchannon
... aka Detectives On the Beach
Baywatch: Forbidden Paradise (1995) (V) .... Mitch Buchannon
Avalanche (1994) (TV) .... Duncan Snyder
Ring of the Musketeers (1992) (TV) .... John Smith D'Artagnan
... aka Ring der Musketiere, Der (Germany)
Baywatch: River of No Return (1992) (TV) .... Mitch Buchannon
Baywatch Summerfest Special (1992) (TV)
The Bulkin Trail (1992) (TV) .... Michael Bulkin
Knight Rider 2000 (1991) (TV) .... Michael Knight
The Final Alliance (1990) .... Will Colton

"Baywatch" (1989) TV Series .... Lt. Mitch Buchannon (1989-2000)
... aka Baywatch Hawai'i (USA: new title)
W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989) (V) .... White Bread (Roger Donaldson)
... aka Bail Out
Fire and Rain (1989) (TV) .... Dr. Dan Meyer
Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier (1989) (TV) .... Mitch Buchannon
Witchery (1988) .... Gary
... aka Casa 4, La (USA)
... aka Ghosthouse 2 (UK: video title)
... aka Malefiche presenze (Italy)
... aka Witchcraft (Europe: English title)
... aka Witchery (USA)
Zärtliche Chaoten II (1988) .... Michael Trutz von Rhein
... aka Lovable Zanies II (International: English title)
... aka Three Crazy Jerks II (International: English title)
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake (1988) (TV) .... Billy Travis
Starke Zeiten (1988) .... David
Bridge Across Time (1985) (TV) .... Don Gregory
... aka Arizona Ripper
... aka Terror at London Bridge
The Cartier Affair (1984) (TV) .... Curt Taylor
"Knight Rider" (1982) TV Series .... Michael Knight
Knight Rider (1982) (TV) .... Michael Knight
... aka Knight Rider: Knight of the Phoenix (USA)
... aka Knight Rider: The Movie (USA)
"Semi-Tough" (1980) TV Series .... Shake Tiller

Pleasure Cove (1979) (TV) .... Scott
Scontri stellari oltre la terza dimensione (1979) .... Simon
... aka Female Space Invaders
... aka Starcrash (International: English title)
... aka Stella Star
... aka The Adventures of Stella Star (USA)
Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1976) .... Boner
... aka H.O.T.S. III (UK: video title)
"The Young and the Restless" (1973) TV Series .... Dr. William 'Snapper' Foster, Jr. #2 (1975-1982)
... aka Y&R (USA: promotional abbreviation)