Baywatch star Michael Newman dies aged 68 after 18 year battle with Parkinson's Disease

Baywatch star Michael Newman has died at the age of 68, friends of the actor have confirmed.

The Los Angeles native Newman rose to fame in the '90s as mainstay TV lifeguard Mike "Newmie" Newman on the long-running series, appearing in 150 episodes of the series, which ran from 1989-2001 — more episodes of the show than anyone other than David Hasselhoff.

Newman's close friend, Matt Felker revealed the late actor died "from heart complications" on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 20 "surrounded by his family and friends."

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Felker told People magazine: "I got to see Mike the last time he was conscious and he looked [at] me and in typical Mike fashion said, 'You’re just in time'."

Newman, who was a trained lifeguard in real life as well as being a full-time firefighter, kept his job at the firehouse during Baywatch filming.

He landed a role in the hit series after offering guidance on rescue scenes. He shared: "I was too useful for them to get rid of me. I basically started off as a stuntman, and after seven years of being out of the opening credits, I finally was anointed and allowed to be in the front of the show."

Following his starring role on Baywatch, Newman spent a number of years raising money for the Michael J Fox Foundation in a bid to help find a cure for Parkinson's - the disease he was diagnosed with in 2006 at the age of 50.

And in August, he revealed he hoped that by sharing his story, he would help bring awareness to the disease. He told People at the time: "This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn’t want, but it’s brought me wisdom. My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson's has now become the centre of my life."

Newman is survived by his wife, Sarah, the couple’s two children, Chris and Emily, and granddaughter, Charlie.

Soon after news of Newman's death broke, fans began to pay tribute across social media.

One fan wrote in a message on X: "Just learned that 1 of my favorite actors from Baywatch, Michael Newman, passed away. I'm not sure if @PlanetTyrus or @greggutfeld ever watched the show, but I know I did. #RIPMichaelNewman."

Another fan said: "I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Newman. He was known for his role in "Baywatch" and contributed to the entertainment industry." (sic)

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