Claim: David Hasselhoff played a leading role in Baywatch.

David Michael Hasselhoff -LRB- born July 17 , 1952 -RRB- , nicknamed `` The Hoff '' , is an American actor , singer , producer , and businessman , who set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV .  He first gained recognition on The Young and The Restless , playing Dr. Snapper Foster . His career continued with his leading role as Michael Knight on Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch . Hasselhoff produced Baywatch from the 1990s until 2001 when the series ended with Baywatch Hawaii . On screen , he appeared in films including Click , Dodgeball , The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie , and Hop .   In 2000 , he made his Broadway debut in the musical Jekyll & Hyde . Following his debut , he starred in other musicals including Chicago and The Producers .