With sun, sand, and a whole lot of slow motion running, there are few shows more quintessentially California than '90s drama Baywatch. While sharing a marquee with megastars David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson, several of Baywatch's lesser-known actors were catapulted to fame while racing toward the surf—signature red buoy in hand, of course. Among them was Erika Eleniak, the blonde bombshell who played rookie lifeguard Shauni McClain. A stunning former model and Playboy Playmate, she was quickly embraced by the show’s audience as a '90s icon and fan favorite. Thirty years later, she's 51 years old and still looking fabulous. Read on to see the beach babe now!
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She got her big break in a Spielberg film as a teenager.
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic via Getty ImagesAfter acting in a single commercial, Erika got her big break in the 1982 Spielberg classicE.T. the Extra Terrestrial. She is credited in the film as “Pretty Girl,” an unnamed character Elliot had a crush on. Soon after her big screen debut, she appeared in a 1988 remake of the sci-fi horror classic The Blob and worked on various TV series, including Charles in Charge, before landing the role of Shauni on Baywatch in 1989.
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She hasn’t stopped acting since.
Steve Jennings/WireImage via Getty ImagesWhen the show wrapped in 1992, Erika continued to work regularly in Hollywood. To date, she has appeared in scores of films and TV shows, most notably Under Siege, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Chasers. According to IMDB, she currently has two projects in production, both slated for release in 2022.
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She didn’t end up marrying her on-screen love interest.
Presley Ann/Getty ImagesWhile working on Baywatch, Erika became engaged to her co-star Billy Warlock, who played her onscreen boyfriend, Eddie. However, the two called it quits, and Erika later married and divorced bodybuilder Philip Goglia, famous for his work as a nutritionist to the stars, with clients including Kim Kardashian and Chris Pratt.
In 2001, Erika reportedly began dating Roch Daigle, a key grip she met on the set of Snowbound. They later married and had one daughter, Indyanna Daigle, who recently finished ninth grade.
She’s embraced her spiritual side.
Bobby Bank/WireImage via Getty ImagesOutside of her career in Hollywood, Erika has recently been working on projects that promote self-empowerment and embrace her more spiritual side. In particular, she hosts a podcast called The Spiritual Alchemy Podcast with Erika in which the actress shares the philosophies and methods that she says have helped her tap into her own inner power and “manifest” the positive things in her life. She covers a broad range of self-help topics, including gaining self-confidence, building healthy relationships, and practicing radical gratitude.
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