David Hasselhoff opposed Pamela Anderson's ‘Baywatch’ hiring: casting director

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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...sting-director

According to Joel Thurm, David Hasselhoff was "blessed with looks, luck and me."

The veteran casting director said he was the one "who paved the way" for the actor’s "best years" in shows like "The Young and the Restless," "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch." He also witnessed a new star make a major splash on "Baywatch," the series about lifeguards who tackled rescues and relationships.

Thurm, who recently wrote the tell-all "Sex, Drugs & Pilot Season: Confessions of a Casting Director," claimed to Fox News Digital that Hasselhoff was hesitant about having Pamela Anderson join the cast.

"I’m sure [Pamela] is a lovely woman in person from what I can see and certainly from what I’ve learned from her new Netflix documentary, but it’s no surprise the ratings went up when she joined," said Thurm. "And if the ratings are going up, it’s going to benefit [Hasselhoff]."

According to Thurm’s book, Hasselhoff initially opposed hiring the Playboy Playmate, insisting that "Baywatch" was "a family show." Despite his objections, the blonde bombshell slipped into her red swimsuit as C.J. Parker in 1992.

"He did agree to meet her and was overwhelmed by her ‘charisma,’" wrote Thurm. "Later on, when a sex tape of her with her husband Tommy Lee found its way onto the internet, many stations and distributors wanted her fired. But when the ratings came in, some had increased by double digits. Those who called for her removal did an abrupt never mind. ‘Baywatch’ lasted in syndication for 10 years. It was a huge hit in more than 140 countries, with an estimated viewing audience of 1.1 billion viewers weekly and is the longest-running show never to receive a single Emmy nomination."