Baywatch’s Iconic Slow-Motion Runs Were Just a Happy Accident, And I Had No Idea

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Even if you’re not a frequent watcher of Baywatch, it’s hard to miss what makes it most recognizable. The distinctive red swimsuits certainly stand out, but let’s not forget the running – those slow-motion scenes have left an indelible mark on popular culture for years. Former actress Nicole Eggert shared an amusing tale about their origin and why some of the initial sequences were less than adorable.

Nicole Eggert is among a group of actors who became popular in the ’90s due to their roles on “Baywatch,” a show available for streaming with a Prime Video subscription, alongside stars like Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, and Carmen Electra. From 1992 to 1994, Eggert played Summer Quinn, and she recently shared on the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast that the running scenes weren’t initially meant to be in slow motion. In her own words:

Nicole Eggert gained fame in the ’90s as one of many actors on “Baywatch,” a show you can stream with Prime Video, alongside big names like Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, and Carmen Electra. From 1992 to 1994, she played Summer Quinn, and she mentioned on the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast that the running scenes weren’t originally meant to be slow-motion.

During the initial two seasons, we served as pioneers for the revamped version of Baywatch. The slow motion effect wasn’t explicitly discussed beforehand. I’ve learned that it was unintentionally added during post-production in the editing room due to timing issues. An editor decided to speed up the run in slow motion for a montage, and it turned out that everyone grew fond of this style.

Discuss an unexpected turn of events! The iconic “Baywatch” running scene has been spoofed countless times throughout its history, making it surprising to learn that it was likely an improvised decision, intended to extend a scene within an episode. However, this spontaneity caused confusion among the production team as they hadn’t planned for slow-motion shots, which in turn caught the actors off guard. As Nicole Eggert noted:

In full stride, I was sprinting. But if you saw me doing that in slow motion, trust me, it wouldn’t be adorable. Not at all. That’s because the actors who followed had an advantage since they knew what to expect.

As a passionate cinephile, if you’ve ever mimicked the iconic Baywatch dash (and let’s be honest, who hasn’t?), you’d know it’s not just a matter of running from one point to another. It’s got an elegance and a certain rhythm to it that sets it apart. And when you’re really tearing across the sand at full speed, you’re less concerned about your posture or your mugging for the camera – it’s all about the flow!

By the time additional cast members like Nicole Eggert joined Baywatch during its early seasons, they were already at a significant disadvantage because the production team and crew had already mastered the art of filming running scenes for television broadcast. This is something that was not known to them when they started.

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As a cinema enthusiast, I must admit that my extensive knowledge about films didn’t exactly translate when it came to the practical side of all that on-screen running. Just like Carmen Electra, who portrayed Lani McKenzie from 1997 to 1998, her own running scenes needed tweaking to give the illusion that she could match the pace of her co-stars.

Zac Efron, who was in the 2017 “Baywatch” film, probably has some tales about the difficulty of that beach run. The actor posted a few behind-the-scenes pictures from the enjoyable movie that depict him falling dramatically during his attempts to perform the slow-motion run. Isn’t it surprising to see something like that in slow motion?

I’m captivated by Nicole Eggert’s glimpse into the backstage story, shedding light on the intriguing origins of the famous running sequences in Baywatch.

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2025-05-16 23:12