As a Baywatch hunk, looking good in those famously tight swim briefs was arguably as imperative as patrolling the Los Angeles coast line in search of swimmers in distress.
Now David Chokachi, who played Cody Madison on the hit show, has divulged his secret for combating ‘shrinkage’ while filming in icy cold water with minimal clothing in new documentary series, After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun.
The 56-year-old TV star joined a host of the famous cast to get candid about what it was really like to work on the iconic TV series and reflected on how exposed the men felt while wearing nothing but tight swim briefs.
‘The problem was that a lot of times it’s 6.30 in the morning and it’s freezing, and it’s like “Alright, get in the water”. The shrinkage is ridiculous,’ he said.
‘I had my own technique. I would basically try and find a little towel or jacket and hid under it and I would do a little personal fluffing.
Baywatch hunk David Chokachi opens up about how he handled the pressure of looking good in the show’s famously revealing swimwear in a new documentary series
After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun sees David – who starred as Cody from 1995 to 1999 – reflect on how exposed the men felt while wearing tight swim briefs
‘Then it created a little circulation and you could represent yourself a little bit better.’
The Hollywood hunk explained that he often asked to wear shorts instead but producers were not happy with the request.
Recalling conversations, he said: ‘I was like, “Can’t I just wear the red trunks?” And they were like, “No, because the lifeguards did wear speedos because they are more effective in the water”.’
David first joined the highly-popular beach drama in 1995 as a replacement for leading cast member David Charvet, before bowing out in 1999.
Among the many topics discussed by the cast in the four-part docuseries was the pressure on the male cast to look good.
Wading in, Carmen Electra – who played Lani McKenzie – said: ‘I think Baywatch was ahead of its time because the men were featured and men looked hot.’
Alexandra Paul – who played Lt. Stephanie Holden – explained how the men of the show were under just as much pressure to look good as the women.
‘Men can be sexualized just as much as women and Chokachi is a perfect example of that in the opening credits,’ she stated. ‘He’s coming out of the water and his muscles are popping out, he throws head back, and in slow motion you see his c**k in his suit and it was hot.’
The season six premiere began with David’s character enjoying a swim in his blue briefs while the camera lingered on his enviable physique
David explained: ‘I had my own technique. I would basically try and find a little towel or jacket and hid under it and I would do a little personal fluffing’
The season six premiere began with David’s character enjoying a swim in his blue briefs while the camera lingered on his enviable physique.
David explained that he often asked to wear shorts but producers weren’t happy with it
The clip was then used in the opening credits of every episode that followed.
Kelly Packard – who played April Giminski – added: ‘On the show the men all had to wear next to nothing and there was little left to the imagination.’
David explained that the Baywatch look was exceptionally popular during the time.
‘The 90s were full of these dudes who were super ripped and had these eight packs and just like wearing underwear,’ he said.
Reminiscing on the day he auditioned for his role, he recalled: ‘As soon as I stepped through the door it was like “You are Cody Madison. You are the guy we’ve been looking for for months”.’
And it didn’t take the actor long to realize that keeping his appearance in peak physical condition would work in his favor on the show.
He continued: ‘I figured out early on in the show that the more fit you are, the more episodes they are going to write for you, the more fans you’ll have and the more money you’re gonna make.
‘It was like a self-fulfilling thing so I just embraced it. I wanted to be super super fit and I made sure I was.’
Elsewhere in the documentary, actor Jeremy Jackson admitted that growing up on a set where the cast wore such minimal clothing was not easy during his teenage years.
The series originally aired from 1989 to 1999 before being retooled as Baywatch Hawaii from 1999 to 2001 which starred Jason Momoa (pictured left in 2000)
The four-part docuseries After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun begins streaming on Hulu from August 28
The former child star played David Hasselhoff’s on-screen son Hobie Buchannon, from eight years old.
By the time he hit adolescence, the actor admitted that he used to take advantage of the fact he would often share a trailer with female stars such as Pamela Anderson.
‘I would sneak into their trailers on set after they were finished filming and I would sniff their bathing suits,’ the star stated. ‘Let’s just say I’ve sniffed every person on Baywatch.’
Jeremy spoke previously about his on set antics during an interview with Howard Stern in 2011 in which he admitted to pleasuring himself while sniffing Pamela’s iconic red bathing suit.
He said: ‘All the girls’ Playboys were around … you get to flipping through a few of those and then you start thinking, “How can I enhance this experience?”
After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun is ‘a nostalgic and insightful exploration of Baywatch, the cultural phenomenon that defined an era, and an unprecedented look into the stars who brought the world’s most famous lifeguards to life.
‘Through dozens of new cast interviews and never-before-seen footage, this docuseries unpacks how the show captured the mythology of California’s beach culture, set physical beauty standards for an entire generation, and capitalized on the adage ‘sex sells.”‘
After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun is available on Hulu
