David Hasselhoff Facts: Celebrities Who Started on Soaps

David Hasselhoff is an actor, singer, and businessman who is best known for playing Michael Knight on Knight Rider and Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch. But he was also on a soap.

While his television career has made him a household name, Hasselhoff has also appeared in films such as Jekyll & Hyde, Click, and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. From his music career to becoming a world-record holder, here are five fast facts about the star.

Who Is David Hasselhoff?

Hasselhoff was born on July 17 in Baltimore, Maryland, but he spent his childhood in Jacksonville, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, and La Grage, Illinois. He graduated from Lyons Township High School and performed in several school plays. He then attended Oakland University and the California Institute of the Arts, where he graduated with a degree in theater.

Soap Beginnings
After graduating from school, Hasselhoff landed the role of Dr. Snapper Foster on The Young and the Restless, a show he was on for seven years. He then left the soap and went on to star as Michael Knight in The Knight Rider.

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O.J. Ruined His Music Career
Along with acting, Hasselhoff also has a passion for singing and became a major artist in Europe. However, he had a harder time breaking into the music industry in America. He scheduled a live pay-per-view performance in Atlantic City in 1994, but it was ruined by O.J. Simpson, who was driving down the Los Angeles highway in his infamous white Bronco. People who were tuning into Hasselfhoff’s concert switched over to the news to watch the car chase.

Guinness World Record Holder

Hasselhoff landed in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2011 as “The Most Watched TV Star in the World,” thanks in part to his starring roles in both Knight Rider and Baywatch, which were watched by millions. He then did it again for the highest reverse bungee jump, as he jumped off the Battersea Power Station in 2011, which is over 229 feet high.

Getting Personal
Hasselhoff married actress Catherine Hickland in March 24, 1984, but the couple split in 1989. He then married actress Pamela Bach in December 1989 and they have two daughters together — Taylor, born May 5, 1990, and Hayley, born August 26, 1992. Hasselhoff and Bach officially divorced in 2006. In 2012, he started dating Hayley Roberts and the couple tied the knot on July 31, 2018.