Is Mike Newman OK? 'Baywatch' lifeguard shares his 16-year struggle with Parkinson's, says 'everything changes'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mike Newman was one of the prominent television characters in the United States as he played the role of a lifeguard on the long-running action series 'Baywatch.'
The former actor, who retired at the age of 50, soon started to realize that his body was simply wearing out as he got older.
In 2006, Newman’s wife noticed a strange “shake” in his movement. He started to walk in an unusual manner and was becoming slower in the pool and slower at running which was quite strange for him, especially due to his strong athletic background.
How did Mike Newman find out he had Parkinson's disease?
The 6’5,” 250 lb actor was asked to see a doctor by his family members and a concerned neighbor, People reports.
He was prescribed a pill called Azilect, a MAO-B indicator that slows the breakdown of dopamine in the brain and it was like some sort of magic.
All his physical problems subsided almost immediately, and the following day he went back and excitedly told the doctor he felt “great.”
Unfortunately, his happiness was short lived as doctor explained it was actually not a good thing that the pill had helped because it meant he had Parkinson’s disease.
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What did Mike Newman say?
“Everything changes,” the former 'Baywatch' star, now 66, told the outlet, adding “All those things that you thought you were going to do with your children and grandchildren, pictures we were going to take, all the plans I had… stopped.”
The former fire-fighter said that staying in Los Angeles was not his original plan as he and his wife, Sarah, 67, planned to retire in Hawaii before the diagnosis.
He and his wife have been married 36 years and share son Chris, 34, and daughter Emily, 31. Through their daughter, they also have a granddaughter, Charlie, one.
Mike Newman is set to make his return to television
Newman soon will be headed back to television for he's long done with his acting days. "If you didn't have to be there, why would you be?" he quips of Hollywood.
Newman is set to play an important part in an upcoming documentary looking back on the cultural impact of Baywatch.
Directed by Matt Felker, 'Baywatch: The Documentary' will give an insight into the 1989-2001 syndicated phenomenon and the lives of its cast which included Pamela Anderson, David Hasselhoff and Jason Momoa, among others.
Felker was always most interested in speaking with Newman despite the star-studded lineup of the original series.
What did Matt Felker say about Mike Newman?
“I had noticed even on our social media that Mike, surprisingly enough, had a bigger fanbase than almost any other actor, probably on the same level as Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff,” the director told the outlet, adding “Everyone loved this guy. They thought he was just so cool.”
When Felker first came across Newman, he felt a “gut reaction” in his stomach. He explained that Newman doesn’t have a tremor, which people commonly associate with the disease, he's still in good shape, but there’s a noticeable impact on his lower body.
Newman has trouble walking and sometimes gets lost in his train of thought when he speaks. “I didn't know the guy, and it almost made me kind of cry,” he said of their first meeting, adding “It affects you because it's like, ‘That's not right.’”
Mike Newman did not want to be known as 'the guy with Parkinson’s'
At first, Newman was hesitant to open up about his diagnosis in the documentary as he didn’t want to just be known as “the guy with Parkinson’s,” he explained.
However, after spending more time with the director, he changed his mind and gave Felker his blessing to share his story, authentically, with the world.
Mike Newman and Matt Felker have now formed a close bond
The two have since formed a close-knit bond, with Felker, 43, likening the 'Baywatch' alum to a father figure. The director brings him out to Malibu three or four times a week and helps him get in the ocean. Newman has never stopped going into the water.
The star explained that he swims, kayaks or runs on the sand daily. He also added that the best treatment for Parkinson’s is exercise, at least 45 minutes a day of intense cardio. In that respect, he says he considers himself “lucky.”
“I’ve been training for this,” he said, referring to his lifelong passion for physical activity. “Somebody that was 65 and not very athletic, if they got the news that they got Parkinson's, it wouldn't turn out as well. I got them all beat, I guess, if we could call it 'beat,'” he said.
Felker agreed that the ocean is where Newman shines. "In the water, he's like Superman, and on land, he's Clark Kent,” he explained.
“You see him on land and he's stumbling, he's tripping … but you put him in the water and the dude's like Superman," he added.