All the stars you had no idea were once on ‘Baywatch’

HBO

Yes, Khal Drogo was on “Baywatch.”

With 1990s nostalgia at its peak, and with the new “Baywatch” movie starring possible future president Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Zac Efron, it’s time to take another hard look at the hit show that made red swimsuits and running on the beach in slow motion pop-culture staples.

Many well-known actors and even A-list stars (Michelle Williams!) got small (or in some cases, big) roles on “Baywatch” before they became known for something else entirely. You seriously won’t believe who some of them are.

Here are all the famous people you didn’t know were once on “Baywatch”:

Michelle Williams

The four-time Oscar nominee appeared in two episodes in different roles. Her first appearance was in 1993 in “Race Against Time: Part 1” as Bridget, a girl who throws a party. Her second appearance was in 1994, in an episode in which she is credited as “Hobie’s groupie.”

Catch a rare scene online of her as Bridget on “Baywatch.” She thinks having sand in your shoes is “cool.”

Williams has come so far.

Mariska Hargitay

The “Law & Order: SVU” star appeared in the third episode of season one in 1989. 

Sofia Vergara

Before she was “Modern Family” famous, Vergara was famous in the late ’90s for being a Univision host. In 1999, she made a brief appearance as herself.

Naya Rivera

The “Glee” star was on “Baywatch” in 1996, when she was 12 years old. She played a girl on the beach with her father. 

Mila Kunis

As a child actress, Kunis actually landed two roles on “Baywatch.” In her first appearance in 1994 she played a student named Annie. It was also her television show debut.

In 1995, she returned as a blind girl named Bonnie who gets lost in the woods with her friends. After being saved, she goes boogie boarding.   

Beverly Mitchell

The “7th Heaven” star was also lost in the woods with Mila Kunis. 

David Spade

Before he gained fame for his time as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and for his own sitcom “Just Shoot Me!” the comedian played a surfer on the very respected beach program. 

Shiri Appleby

The “UnReal” star was in one episode in 1995 as Hobie’s girlfriend. In 2015, she told Elle that she constantly auditioned for roles on “Baywatch,” and that she was so flat-chested during shooting that she was asked to push her arms toward each other so she’d have more cleavage. 

“I was like, ‘There’s nothing to make bigger here, guys.’ It wasn’t much of an acting role,” she said. 

Jenny Lewis

Before indie-rock band Rilo Kiley and her solo music, Lewis was a child actress. Lewis was in a 1989 episode, during the show’s first season. 

Bryan Cranston

The Emmy winner, and now known forever as Walter White from “Breaking Bad,” played the captain of a party boat in the first season, but he didn’t win an Emmy for this one. 

Carrie-Anne Moss

Before she was in “The Matrix,” Carrie-Ann Moss played twins in a season-four episode. The shocking twist was that one of the twins was good, and the other twin was bad. The drama!

Jason Momoa

Before he was Khal Drogo on “Game of Thrones,” a clean-shaven Jason Momoa played another shirtless man on “Baywatch: Hawaii.”

Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo appeared on the show in two episodes in 1991 and in 1992.

“I couldn’t believe that show,” he told The AV Club. “I’d be sitting in Venice, looking at all these girls running around and thinking, ‘They’re paying me for this. Thank you, Jesus.’“

John O’Hurley

Actor John O’Hurley who gained fame for his role on “Seinfeld” appeared in a 1994 episode as a character named Bill Cooper. 

Jenny McCarthy

McCarthy appeared in a season-six episode as a character named April. In season seven, she returned but played herself. 

Barry Watson

“7th Heaven” star Barry Watson played a cowboy who drowned in the show’s sixth season. 

Angie Harmon

The model and “Rizzoli & Isles” star originally made a guest appearance in season six, but then went on to star in the spin-off “Baywatch Nights,” which lasted for two seasons. 

Carmen Electra

“Baywatch” helped the model launch her career as an actress.

Elizabeth Berkley

The “Saved by the Bell” star was a guest star in two episodes on season three as a student named Courtney. 

Will Estes

The “Blue Bloods” star who made appearances on pretty much every ’90s show was on a season-two episode that aired in 1992. 

Richard Branson

Before he was hanging out on the beach with the Obamas, the founder of Virgin Group had a cameo as himself in a season-five “Baywatch” episode. 

Shaggy

In a season-seven episode, Shaggy made an appearance awkwardly singing on the beach. This was several years before “It Wasn’t Me” became a hit.

 

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