Baywatch's Michael Newman has died.
The actor, aged 68, sadly passed away following an 18-year battle with Parkinsons disease. One of Michael's close friends has confirmed that he died on Sunday evening (20 October) due to "heart complications".
Newman was known for playing Newmie on the show and appeared in a whopping 150 episodes. His friend, director Matt Felker, has described how Michael told Matt he was "just in time" during their last visit together.
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Felker directed the docuseries After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun. He explained that Michael was surrounded by his loved ones when he died.
Felker explained to People: "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'."
Michael was also a trained lifeguard and a full time firefighter, even keeping his job at the firehouse despite long filming days on the Baywatch set. Newman decided to retire from his role after an impressive 25 years.
The actor had dedicated many years to raising money for the Michael J Fox Foundation, set up by the namesake Back To The Future actor who also has Parkinson's. He was diagnosed back in 2006.
Newman was born in Los Angeles and was the only member of the Baywatch cast who was a lifeguard in real life. After the news broke of Michael's death, social media was flooded with tributes to the actor by loyal fans of the show.
Someone wrote: "Nooo, Newmie died! He was funny on Baywatch!" Another person said that the news was "very sad," as one X/Twitter user added: "Dude was a stud. Crazy he died young. Pretty sure he was the only real life lifeguard on Baywatch."
Others branded him a "legend," noted "what a life lived," called Newman a "good guy" and many wrote "rest in peace". "I don't know this man but he just looks like a beauty," complimented one X/Twitter user under a picture of the actor on Baywatch.
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