David Hasselhoff

***David Hasselhoff*** (born July 17, 1952), 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.

In 1979, he played "Simon" in *Starcrash*. He launched his singing career with guest appearances on the first season of children's programme Kids Incorporated, performing "Do You Love Me". He guest starred on two episodes of *Diff'rent Strokes* and the soap opera *Santa Barbara* as himself in 1984.

His music career took off in the late 1980s and achieved success at the tops of the charts, with his album *"Looking for Freedom"* which went triple platinum in Europe. He had one #1 hit in the German pop charts in 1989 ("Looking for Freedom"). He was noted for his performance of the single at the Berlin Wall on New Year's Eve 1989, days after the collapse of the wall. Wearing a piano-keyboard tie and a leather jacket covered in motion lights, Hasselhoff stood in a bucket crane and performed the song along with the crowd. The performance has had a lasting impact on German pop-culture with Hasselhoff commenting that the song became an "anthem" and "song of hope" for the people of East Germany.

In 1993, he released the single 'Pingu Dance' based on the popular children's show *'Pingu'*. In 1994, he was scheduled to perform a concert on pay-per-view from Atlantic City. The concert was expected to help reignite his singing career in the United States. However, on the night of the concert, O. J. Simpson was involved in a police chase in southern California. Viewership of the concert was significantly lower than expected due to the live coverage of the chase, and the event was ultimately a $1.5 million loss.

***Selected*** ***Filmography***

March 9, 1979 (US) - Starcrash

July 6, 1989 (US, video) - Witchery

June 27, 1995 (US, video) - Baywatch the Movie: Forbidden Paradise

November 1, 1996 (US); September 1997 (UK, video) - Dear God

February 24, 1998 (US, video) - Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay

October 9, 1998 (US) - Legacy

***Selected*** ***Television***

1975-1982 (US, TV) - The Young and the Restless (first aired March 26, 1973)

April 19, 1980 & February 7, 1981 - The Love Boat

From September 26, 1982 (US, TV); February 17, 1983 (UK, TV) - Knight Rider (1982–1986)

February 11 & 18, 1984 - Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986)

May 15, 1988 (US, TV) - Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake

September 22, 1989–May 15, 2000 (US, TV) - Baywatch (1989–2001)

May 19, 1991 (US, TV) - Knight Rider 2000

September 30, 1995–May 16, 1997 (US, TV) - Baywatch Nights

January 14, 1996 (US, TV); August 1996 (UK, video) - Gridlock

September 15 or November 23, 1997 (US, TV) - Night Man

May 26, 1998 - Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Selected ***Discography***

January 1985 - Night Rocker

1988 - "Looking for Freedom"

1989 - "Is Everybody Happy"

June 21, 1989 - Looking for Freedom

August 6, 1990 - Crazy for You

1990 - "Freedom for the World"

1990 - "Crazy for You"

September 1991- David

1991 - "Do the Limbo Dance"

1993 - "If I Could Only Say Goodbye"

1993 - "Wir zwei allein" (with Gwen)

November 1993 - You Are Everything

June 12, 1995 - Is Everybody Happy

[Wikipedia]