Baywatch star Michael Newman dies aged 68 after 18-year battle with Parkinson’s disease
Former Baywatch star Michael Newman has passed away at the age of 68 after an 18-year battle with Parkinson's disease. A close friend confirmed to PEOPLE that the beloved actor died on Sunday evening, 20 October, due to "heart complications". Actor Michael graced our screens in 150 episodes of the iconic beach series. He played lifeguard 'Newmie' on the hit show, starring alongside Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra, and was the only member of the cast who actually was a lifeguard.
Michael's pal, Matt Felker, shared a touching moment from their last encounter, saying the star had told him he was "just in time". Matt, the brains behind the Hulu docuseries, After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, also shared that Michael was surrounded by loved ones when he passed away.
Michael was first diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 50 in 2006. Speaking to People, Matt recounted: "I got to see Mike the last time he was conscious and he looked [at] me and in typical Mike fashion said, 'You're just in time'."
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Not just an on-screen hero, Michael balanced his acting with a full-time firefighting career, which he dedicated 25 years to before hanging up his helmet. He devoted his later years to fundraising for the Michael J Fox Foundation, driven by a personal mission to conquer Parkinson's.
In a heartfelt revelation this August, Michael expressed his desire to raise awareness about the illness through his own experiences.
He opened up to People, sharing: "This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn't want, but it's brought me wisdom. My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson's has now become the center of my life," he continued.
Newman also revealed he took 10 medications a day and would often wake up "jittery." "I am cherishing the days that I get to be on this earth with family and friends. I'm taking life seriously." He said that his life mantra is, "It's not a run-through."
He added: "All those things that you thought you were going to do with your children and grandchildren, pictures we were going to take, all the plans I had … stopped."
Michael is survived by his wife, Sarah, the couple’s two children, Chris and Emily, and granddaughter, Charlie.
Baywatch, which aired from 1989 until 2001, spawned numerous spinoffs and a movie featuring Priyanka Chopra. He also appeared in the 1999 movie Enemy Action with costars C Thomas Howell and Louis Mandylor.
