ENTERTAINMENTCarmen Electra Says 'Baywatch' Was a 'Fantasy' That Pushed TV Boundaries With 'Skimpy Outfits'
Carmen Electra opened up about her time appearing on the hit '90s beach drama.
Aug. 9 2026, Published 3:24 p.m. ET
Baywatch captivated audiences in the 1990s with their iconic red lifeguard swimsuits and tanned but toned physiques.
Star Carmen Electra looked back on her time starring on the beach drama as Lani McKenzie, and how the NBC series pushed the limits of what could be shown on network television.
Carmen Electra Said 'Baywatch' Fit a 'Certain Tone'
Carmen Electra starred on 'Baywatch' for one season from 1997 until 1998.
"It's hard to replace Pamela [Anderson] and Yasmine [Bleeth] and all those people. And there was just a certain tone. I don't know how to explain it," Electra, 54, told Fox News in a recent interview.
"It had a certain tone to it that it was just such a fantasy, and maybe it was the first time on television you could see so much skin because we really were playing lifeguards, right? So, we could be in these skimpy outfits," the Scary Movie alum added.
Carmen Electra Said Audiences 'Learned So Much' From Watching the Show
Carmen Electra stated fans 'learned so much watching the show.'
Electra then noted audiences probably thought to themselves at the time of airing: "Oh my God, what is this? We can see n------."
"And it wasn't p---. You know, what I mean? They didn't have to sneak away and find a VHS tape to, like, sneak and put in. You can watch this," she reminisced.
"You can also learn something. Because we heard from a lot of people, a lot of fans out there, that they learned so much watching the show," Electra explained.
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Carmen Electra said the show's suggestive content pushed the boundaries of TV.
The Epic Movie star then asserted the TV show's risqué content and atmosphere as the main reasons why it became one of the quintessential series of the '90s.
"Sometimes [the show was] trying to be s---, sometimes not trying to be s---. And all of a sudden, you get these guys on there with these gorgeous bodies," Electra said.
She also joked Baywatch taught herself — as well as viewers — how to give CPR when needed. "I could save someone right now if I needed to," she quipped.
A 'Baywatch' Reboot Will Be Hitting TV Screens in 2027
Shay Mitchell will be starring in the 2027 reboot of 'Baywatch.'
Electra joined Baywatch in 1997 and stayed on for one season before starring in the 2003 TV movie Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.
A reboot of the show is set to hit Fox in January 2027 and will star Stephen Amell, Noah Beck, Shay Mitchell, Brooks Nader and original actor David Chokachi.
Electra also revealed to Fox News she's open to making an appearance in the upcoming revival series.
"I could do something. Come in, have another love scene with David Chokachi. Just something really cute and fun. I would be down to get into the water again," she shared. "I think it would be fun. It makes sense. I was David Chokachi's love interest way back then. I think it would be really fun and why not, you know?"
"I think it would be so cool if I just came in for an episode to surprise him and say hi. They fall in love again, who knows?" Electra raved.
