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Alexandra Paul talks ‘After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun’

Alexandra Paul (“Baywatch”) chatted about being a part of the new “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” docuseries on Hulu.

Alexandra Paul
Alexandra Paul. Photo Courtesy of ABC News Studios.
Alexandra Paul. Photo Courtesy of ABC News Studios.

Alexandra Paul (“Baywatch”) chatted about being a part of the new “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” docuseries on Hulu.

The synopsis is: “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” is insightful exploration of “Baywatch,” the cultural phenomenon that defined an era, and an unprecedented look into the stars who brought the world’s most famous lifeguards to life.

Through dozens of new cast interviews and never-before-seen footage, this docuseries unpacks how the show captured the mythology of California’s beach culture, set physical beauty standards for an entire generation, and capitalized on the adage “sex sells.”

Alexandra Paul is known for her portrayal of Lieutenant Stephanie Holden on the show.

Experience doing ‘After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun’

On her experience doing “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun,” Paul said, “I was asked to do an interview by Nicole Eggert comfortable participating in the series.”

“It is hard to trust that people are going to frame the show in a true, decent light as ‘Baywatch’ has always been seen as an easy target by journalists,” she noted.

“When outlets do those ‘Where are they now?’ pieces on us actors from the show, they often infer we are somehow failures in our lives, which you can see from the documentary is not true at all,” she said.

“So, I did a 45-minute interview with Matthew Felker, the director, and then I went to the ocean and swam for 15 minutes. That was back in November of 2019,” Paul elaborated.

Working with director Matthew Felker

On working with Matthew Felker as director, Paul said, “I like Matthew a lot. He is very genuine, with a big heart. He was clearly not out to make a hit piece — he had been a fan of the show — but he did want to tell the truth about the show, so it was clearly not going to be a fluff piece either.”

“I think his biggest accomplishment is showing the nuance of us all as human beings- we are not vapid, boring dolls in real life that some people assume we are,” she said.

“Also, Matthew showed the nuances of the ‘Baywatch’ TV series – how being a part of the most popular show in the world, a show that set trends, represented the California lifestyle and became also a cultural meme – was positive but also hurt to the actors involved,” she elaborated.

Lessons learned from this docuseries

On the lessons learned from this docuseries, she remarked, “I got a chance to think about the show from my vantage point now, 30 years later. I recognized it as a microcosm of what was going on politically back then: NAFTA had just been passed and world trade boomed.”

Paul continued, “The product that was Baywatch was the first American series in mainland China, the first American series that was shown all over the world at pretty much the same time, a show that was available to pretty much everyone (in Iran and some other countries people had to set up illegal satellite systems to watch it, but they did).”

“In terms of women, people who liked to denigrate the show called it sexist, but there were as many lead female actors as male actors,” she said.

“In most movies at the time, there was usually one female lead who was the ‘girlfriend’ and maybe one other decent role for a woman, and both were relegated to cowering the corner while their male costars duked it out,” she elaborated.

“On our show, the female lifeguards drove the boats, fought the bad guys and saved as many people as the male actors. We were clearly all extremely capable women,” she acknowledged.

“If ‘Baywatch’ was remade now, I think the suits would be stylish like they were in the 2017 Baywatch movie, but not as high cut on the thighs and low cut at the breasts as our one pieces were,” she said.

“Actually, they changed my style after a couple years because what worked for the curvaceous women on the show did not work for me, so I think the style of bathing suit I had would be used now,” she added.

Carmen Electra, Nicole Eggert, Billy Warlock, Erika Eleniak, Alexandra Paul, David Chokachi, Traci Bingham, and Jeremy Jackson
Carmen Electra, Nicole Eggert, Billy Warlock, Erika Eleniak, Alexandra Paul, David Chokachi, Traci Bingham, and Jeremy Jackson. Photo Credit: Disney, Frank Micelotta.

Paul on reuniting with her former ‘Baywatch’ co-stars

On reuniting with her former cast members, Paul said, “Oh my gosh, I just love my cast mates – including the ones who were on different seasons than I was!”

“I think I have met or worked with in some capacity every regular cast member in the show’s 12 seasons except Shawn Weatherly, who was on the first season, and Mitzi Kapture who was on the last season,” Paul noted.

“Anyway, doing PR for the docuseries was so fun because we got to hang out together again. And it is also wonderful to see how well everyone is doing. We all have full lives and we are thriving,” she said.

“I, of course, especially love seeing David Chokachi, Jaason Simmons, Nicole Eggert, and Jeremy Jackson – we worked together for several seasons and they are so dear to my heart,” she said.

“I have seen them all in the intervening years, but to be able talk about this period of our lives together was special. Being on the most watched (and maybe most maligned) TV show in the world bonds you forever. It is a rare experience and we shared it,” she elaborated.

Future plans

Regarding her future plans, Paul revealed, “I am still acting, but Ian and I moved up to Oregon to take care of my mother, who has Parkinson’s, so I am pickier about the jobs I will do.”

“Ian and I are celebrating 29 years together this month, and I am so in love with my husband,” she exclaimed. “I volunteer at my local dog shelter twice a week and host a very successful podcast on healthy, plant based living called ‘Switch4Good’.”

“I work out consistently and I eat really well, so at 61, I feel great and would be happy to be back in a bathing suit onscreen if the call came,” she added.

Stage of her life

On the title of the current chapter of her life, Paul said, “Family First.”

“Right now my priority is making sure my mom stays in her own home and gets all the support she needs from me,” she said.

“I am lucky to have an amazingly supportive husband and a brother and sister who also help out when we need it,” she added.

Success

Regarding her definition of success, Paul remarked, “Success for me is fulfilling a higher purpose (which is to me helping animals and speaking out about human overpopulation), feeling confident in my own skin, and having lots of love in my life. I have all that.”

Closing thoughts on ‘After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun’

For viewers and fans, Paul stated about the Hulu docuseries, “I hope the docuseries helps viewers reconsider all the ways we have prejudged, assumed or stereotyped others.”

“This doc is just one that has been released and given a broader look on a ’90s cultural moment that we might have had fixed opinions about at the time: the pieces on Monica Lewinsky and Britney Spears are two others that come to mind right away,” she elaborated.

“Also, I hope they enjoy looking at the beach, blondes, and yes, breasts. I think it is healthier for the world to see sexy rather than violent or mean-spirited, so let’s not take it all so seriously and appreciate the fun of it,” she concluded.

To learn more about Alexandra Paul, check out her official homepage, and follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 22,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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