Claim: David Hasselhoff played a lifeguard in Baywatch.

Mitchell `` Mitch '' Buchannon is a fictional character from the television series Baywatch . He was played by David Hasselhoff in every season of Baywatch and Baywatch Nights plus in the first season of Baywatch Hawaii . He also appeared in three films , Baywatch the Movie : Forbidden Paradise -LRB- 1995 -RRB- , Baywatch : White Thunder at Glacier Bay -LRB- 1998 -RRB- and Baywatch : Hawaiian Wedding -LRB- 2003 -RRB- .   Mitch was the main character from the series premiere of Baywatch in 1989 to the penultimate season of Baywatch Hawaii in 2000 , when David Hasselhoff decided to leave the series as an actor -LRB- though he retained his position as executive producer -RRB- . As the years progressed , Mitch increasingly served as a mentor and father figure to many of the younger lifeguards at Baywatch headquarters , helping them in work-related matters , and also issues in their personal lives .