Stephen Amell (Arrow, Heels) is the first star to be cast in Matt Nix’s Baywatch reboot for Fox. He will play the series regular role of Hobie Buchannon, a character from the original series.
The wild child Hobie Buchannon is now a Baywatch Captain, following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Mitch (played in the OG series by David Hasselhoff). Hobie’s world is turned upside down when Charlie, the daughter he never knew, shows up on his doorstep, eager to carry on the Buchannon family legacy and become a Baywatch lifeguard alongside her dad.
“From the first conversation, Stephen Amell brought exactly what this new chapter of Baywatch demands: heart, intensity, and that undeniable hero energy. He’s the kind of lead who can sprint into danger, carry the emotional weight, and still make it feel fun. We’re so excited to get started,” shared Nix, executive producer and showrunner of Baywatch.
The role was originally played by Brandon Call for one season, then by Jeremy Jackson for the remainder of the show’s run.
Fox teases that Baywatch will feature adrenaline-fueled rescues, tangled relationships, complicated chemistry and beachside heroics that defined the original — now with an entirely new cast donning the show’s signature red swimsuits, contemporary trappings, tensions and challenges, and a renewed mission to protect Southern California’s shoreline.
The reboot received a 12-episode straight-to-series order from the broadcast network in September, after havingbeen in development at Fox since winter 2024. Production is slated to begin shooting this spring on Venice Beach and on the Fox Studio Lot in Century City.
Following its 1989 debut and a swift cancellation by NBC after one season, the original series became the most-watched show airing in over 200 countries, and at its peak, reached more than a billion viewers every week. Hasselhoff led the series and helped launch the careers of actors from Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra to Jason Momoa and Yasmine Bleeth.
The new Baywatch is co-produced by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle with Nix (Burn Notice, The Gifted) serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside executive producers McG, Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto and Mike Horowitz. McG will direct the series premiere episode. Fox Entertainment Global holds all domestic distribution rights, and Fremantle manages all international sales.
Amell is best known for playing the title character in the Greg Berlanti-created CW series Arrow, based on the DC Comics superhero, The Green Arrow, for co-leading the Starz wrestling drama Heels, and most recently, for leading NBC’s Suits: LA as Ted Black. Additional TV credits include the HBO series Hung and recurring roles on Fox’s comedy New Girl, as well as ABC’s Private Practice.
On the film side, Amell starred and produced the indie feature, Code 8 (Parts 1 and 2), appearing alongside his cousin, Robbie Amell. He recently starred in the indie film, Lighthouse On Little Lorraine, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. He can currently be seen in the Crave CTV mini-series The Borderline, in which he both stars and exec-produces. Amell is repped by UTA, Leverage Management, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.