David Hassellhoff
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David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on '' The Young and The Restless'' (1975–1982), playing the role of Dr.
Snapper Foster Snapper Foster is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. An original character since the show's inception, the role was played by William Gray Espy from March 26, 1973 to September 26, 1975, and David ...
. His career continued with his leading role as Michael Knight on '' Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and as L.A. County Lifeguard
Mitch Buchannon Mitch Buchannon is a fictional character from the television series ''Baywatch''. He was played by David Hasselhoff in every season of ''Baywatch'' and ''Baywatch Nights'' plus in the first season of ''Baywatch Hawaii''. He also appeared in three ...
in '' Baywatch'' (1989–2000)''.'' He also produced ''Baywatch'' from the 1990s until 2001 when the series ended with ''
Baywatch Hawaii ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonan ...
.'' Hasselhoff has appeared in films, including '' Dodgeball'' (2004), '' The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' (2004), ''Click'' (2006), and ''
Hop A hop is a type of jump. Hop or hops may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hop'' (film), a 2011 film * Hop! Channel, an Israeli TV channel * ''House of Payne'', or ''HOP'', an American sitcom * Lindy Hop, a swing dance of the 1920s and ...
'' (2011). Before Samuel L. Jackson, Hasselhoff was the first actor to portray the Marvel Comics character
Nick Fury Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
in the telefilm '' Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (1998). In 2000, he made his Broadway debut in the musical ''
Jekyll & Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...
''. Following his debut, he starred in other musicals including '' Chicago'' and '' The Producers''. In 1989, Hasselhoff released the studio album ''Looking for Freedom'', which went to triple platinum in Europe, and its lead single went to number one in Germany and Switzerland. Hasselhoff has also worked as a talent show judge on television shows such as ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'' (2006–2009) and '' Britain's Got Talent'' (2011).


Early life and education

Hasselhoff was born in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
, the son of Dolores Theresa (née Mullinex; April 23, 1930 – February 11, 2009), a homemaker, and Joseph Vincent Hasselhoff (May 2, 1925 – November 16, 2014), a business executive. His family is Roman Catholic with German, English, and Irish descent. His great-great-grandmother, Meta, emigrated with her family to Baltimore from Völkersen, Germany in 1865. He spent his childhood in Jacksonville, Florida, and later lived in Atlanta, Georgia, where he attended Marist School. Hasselhoff made his theatrical debut at the age of seven in Peter Pan, and ever since his childhood dream was to have a career on Broadway. He graduated from Lyons Township High School in
La Grange, Illinois ''(the barn)'' , nickname = , motto = ''Tradition & Pride – Moving Forward'' , anthem = ''My La Grange'' by Jimmy Dunne , image_map = File:Cook County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas La Grange Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 26 ...
, in 1970. He was a member of the speech team, senior discussion leaders, president of the choir, captain of the volleyball team and held roles in several plays (including one lead role as Matt in '' The Fantasticks''). He studied at
Oakland University Oakland University is a public research university in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Founded in 1957 through a donation of Matilda Dodge Wilson, it was initially known as Michigan State University-Oakland, operating under the Mi ...
before graduating with a degree in theater at the California Institute of the Arts.


Early career

Hasselhoff portrayed Dr. "
Snapper Foster Snapper Foster is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. An original character since the show's inception, the role was played by William Gray Espy from March 26, 1973 to September 26, 1975, and David ...
" on '' The Young and the Restless'' from 1975 to 1982, leaving the series as the show wrote out many of their original characters. His feature film debut was in 1974 as "Boner" in ''Revenge of the Cheerleaders'', which he did to get accredited into the Screen Actors Guild. At the time, he believed that the film would not be released, but it was: two years later, also appearing under the title ''Caught with their Pants Down''. In 1979, he played "Simon" in ''
Starcrash ''Starcrash'' ( it, Scontri stellari oltre la terza dimensione, lit=Starfights beyond the third dimension) is a 1978 space opera film directed and co-written by Luigi Cozzi, and starring Marjoe Gortner, Caroline Munro, Christopher Plummer, David ...
''. He launched his singing career with guest appearances on the first season of children's program '' Kids Incorporated'', performing "Do You Love Me". He guest-starred on two episodes of '' Diff'rent Strokes'' and the soap opera '' Santa Barbara'' as himself in 1984.


''Knight Rider''

Hasselhoff was recruited by then NBC President Brandon Tartikoff to star in the action crime drama series '' Knight Rider'' from 1982 to 1986 as Michael Knight. He has described ''Knight Rider'' as more than a TV show: "It's a phenomenon. It's bigger than '' Baywatch'' ever was." On the success of ''Knight Rider'' – "It's because it was about saving lives, not taking lives, and it was how one man really can make a difference." He describes the acting he has done as "a little more difficult than if you had a regularly well-written script – like, if I was going to be in, say, '' Reservoir Dogs'', or '' The Godfather'', or '' Dances with Wolves'' or ''
Lawrence of Arabia Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...
'' or '' ER'', I had to talk to a car." His role in the show led him to a People's Choice Award for 'Most Popular Actor'.


''Baywatch''

Hasselhoff returned to television on '' Baywatch'' which premiered in 1989. Although it was canceled after only one season, he believed the series had potential, so Hasselhoff revived it for the first-run syndication market in 1991, investing his own money and additionally functioning as executive producer. His contract stipulated royalties to be paid to him from the rerun profits, which gave him the financial liberty to buy back the rights to ''Baywatch'' from NBC. In its second incarnation, ''Baywatch'' was much more successful. It ran for a total of 11 years and, from the 1990s until its series finale in 2001, was watched by almost 1 billion viewers across 140 countries, solidifying his status among the world's foremost television personalities of the said period. This success combined with his royalties and his other ventures have placed Hasselhoff's fortune at more than $100 million. In 1991, Hasselhoff reprised his role as Michael Knight in the television film ''
Knight Rider 2000 ''Knight Rider 2000'' is a 1991 American made-for-television science fiction action film based on the 1982–1986 television series ''Knight Rider''. Overview In the year 2000, conventional handguns have been banned, with law enforcement car ...
'' as a sequel to the original series. The movie served as a pilot for a proposed new series, but despite high ratings, the plan was abandoned. In 1996, Hasselhoff was given a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
. In 1997, he performed a duet with Filipino singer Regine Velasquez, which was used as the main theme for his 1998 movie ''Legacy''. He made his Broadway debut in 2000 in the title role of ''
Jekyll & Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...
''. In August 2001, he hosted an event at the Conga Room, in Los Angeles honoring the Latin rock band
Renegade Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design *Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design *Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *'' Comman ...
for record sales in excess of 30 million units worldwide, taking the stage with the Latin rockers and singing in Spanish. Beginning on July 16, 2004, he played the lead role in London performances of '' Chicago'' for three months. Hasselhoff has made several self-parodic appearances in movies. He had a major role in '' The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'', released November 19, 2004, starring as himself (though resembling his bygone ''Baywatch'' character) and meeting
SpongeBob ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...
and
Patrick Patrick may refer to: * Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People * Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...
(his full name is heard once in the movie; he is referred to as "Hasselhoff"). Hasselhoff also had another short appearance in the movie '' DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story'' as the dodgeball coach to the German national dodgeball team, Team Hasselhoff. Berating his team after being eliminated from a tournament, he shouts "Ihr seid alle ''Schweine''!" (translated: "You are all ''pigs''!", a common German insult) and smashes a photo of himself in his ''Baywatch'' attire. In 2004's '' EuroTrip'', Hasselhoff appears in a washroom. In the 2006
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...
film ''
Click Click, Klick and Klik may refer to: Airlines * Click Airways, a UAE airline * Clickair, a Spanish airline * MexicanaClick, a Mexican airline Art, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Klick (fictional species), an alien race in the g ...
'' Hasselhoff portrays Sandler's despicable boss. Hasselhoff also appears in an episode of ''
Wildboyz ''Wildboyz'' is an American television series. It is a spin-off and follow-up to '' Jackass''. ''Wildboyz'' debuted in 2003 on MTV, and moved to MTV2 in its third season. The show starred Steve-O and Chris Pontius, who perform stunts and acts ...
''. In 2007, he again played himself in the
Jamie Kennedy James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He has played Randy Meeks in the ''Scream'' franchise (1996–2000) and a multitude of characters in ''The Jamie Kennedy Experiment'' (2002–2004) on The WB. His othe ...
comedy ''
Kickin' It Old Skool ''Kickin' It Old Skool'' is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Harvey Glazer, written by Trace Slobotkin, and starring Jamie Kennedy (who also serves as a producer), Bobby Lee, Maria Menounos, Michael Rosenbaum and Vivica A. Fox, with a cameo ...
''. In his music video for "
Jump in My Car "Jump in My Car" is a song originally recorded by Australian rock band Ted Mulry Gang in 1975. The song was written by Australian singer Ted Mulry and guitarist Les Hall, and was the first hit for the band in Australia. "Jump in My Car" was numbe ...
", he engages in self-parody; this time parodying his performance as Michael Knight in '' Knight Rider''. The car in the video was a black Pontiac Trans Am with a pulsing
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
and an interior nearly identical to that of the
KITT KITT or K.I.T.T. is the short name of two fictional characters from the adventure franchise ''Knight Rider''. While having the same acronym, the KITTs are two different entities: one known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared i ...
car in the series. The video was shot in Sydney, Australia using a right-hand drive KITT replica, including KITT's ejection seat system. In November 2006, Mel Brooks announced Hasselhoff would portray Roger DeBris, the director of the Nazi musical '' Springtime for Hitler'', in the Las Vegas production of '' The Producers''. In 2006, Hasselhoff became a co-judge on NBC's ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'', a show that showcases America's best amateur entertainers. He also judged in the second, third and fourth seasons alongside
Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, later Arden; born 9 October 1952) is a British-American television personality, music manager and author. She is married to heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne and came to prominence while appearing ...
and Piers Morgan. On the 2007 season finale, Hasselhoff sang "This is the Moment". He was replaced by comedian
Howie Mandel Howard Michael Mandel (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian-American comedian, television personality, actor, and producer. Mandel voiced the character Gizmo in the 1984 film ''Gremlins'' and the 1990 sequel '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch''. I ...
for season five.


Later career

Hasselhoff produced '' Baywatch'' for first run syndication. He has spoken at both the Oxford and Cambridge Student Unions. He was a celebrity cast member on the eleventh season of ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'' which increased in ratings by 36% from the previous year and served as a judge on NBC's ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'' from 2006 to 2009. In 2011, he joined the '' Britain's Got Talent'' judging panel, as the additional fourth judge. Hasselhoff was later honored on Comedy Central's ''The Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff'' in addition to receiving the International Star of the Year Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Entertainment by the
Bollywood Awards The Bollywood Movie Awards was an annual film award ceremony held between 1999 and 2007 in Long Island, New York, United States, celebrating films and actors from the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai, India. History The predecessor to th ...
. He was awarded the Comeback Star of the Year award during the
VH1 Big in '06 Awards VH1's Big in '06 was an award show that aired on VH1 on December 3, 2006 on VH1 in the United States. It was the annual VH1 Big Awards. The show was hosted by comedian D. L. Hughley, and featured many guests, including Paris Hilton, Hulk Hogan, J ...
. In February 2008, towards the end of the '' Knight Rider 2008'', he reprised his career-making role as Michael Knight as he walked on to introduce himself to his on-screen son, Mike Traceur. On November 12, 2008, he became the first celebrity downloadable character for the
PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
's video game ''
Pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...
''. In September 2009, he featured on a radio podcast for Compare the Meerkat, part of the advertising for British website,
Comparethemarket.com Comparethemarket is a UK price comparison website, founded in 2006, that is part of the BGL Group. The website also offers other on-line companies the ability to provide their customers with a co-branded or white labelled comparison service. ...
. He was the subject of an Early Day Motion in the
House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 me ...
as a result of his support for the re-opening of Morecambe Winter Gardens. In 2010, Hasselhoff guest hosted professional wrestling's '' WWE Raw'' in London, England. On August 15, 2010, Comedy Central aired a special " roast" of Hasselhoff. Hasselhoff returned to ''The Young and the Restless'', reprising his role as "Snapper" for a short arc that aired in mid-June 2010. Hasselhoff appeared as a contestant on
season 11 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
of ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
''. His professional dance partner was Kym Johnson. On September 21, 2010, they were the first couple eliminated from the competition. Coincidentally, Hasselhoff competed against
Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layer ...
, who judged alongside him in the first season of ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
''. In October 2010, it was announced that he would be playing Captain Hook in the New Wimbledon Theatre production of the pantomime "Peter Pan" from December 2010 to January 2011. He has reprised his role of "Hoff the Hook" for 2012 at the Manchester Opera House. In 2011, he was a guest judge at the Belgian Idols competition. Hasselhoff became a judge on '' Britain's Got Talent'' in 2011 alongside Amanda Holden, Michael McIntyre and Simon Cowell. However, Hasselhoff was axed after only one series on the show and was replaced by David Walliams. In 2011, he revived his music career with a short tour across Germany, Austria and
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. In the same year, Hasselhoff was featured in the trailer of the spin-off downloadable game, ''
Burnout Crash! ''Burnout Crash!'' (branded ''Burnout CRASH!'') is a downloadable action racing video game in the '' Burnout'' series. It is developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS via PlayStation Network, ...
''. On February 24, 2014, he opened his own 10-week talk show in Sweden on
TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso *Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala *Channel 3 (Algeria), a public Algerian TV channel owned by EPTV ...
, in English. A similar show was later recorded in Finland, premiering on
Sub Sub is a common abbreviation of words beginning with the prefix "sub-". Sub or SUB may also refer to Places * Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, Indonesia, IATA code SUB Computing and technology * , an HTML tag for subscript * SUB designate ...
on April 2, 2015. On
New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
he performed again at the
Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...
, arriving late because his plane was diverted to Hannover. Hasselhoff had a major role in '' Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!'' which premiered globally on July 22, 2015. He then starred in a new musical, ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life'' at the
Blackpool Opera House The Opera House Theatre is a theatre in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is located within the Winter Gardens, a large entertainment complex in the town centre and originally opened in 1889, although it has been rebuilt twice, in 1910 and ...
, late in 2015. On May 18, 2017
Funner, California Harrah's Resort Southern California (formerly Harrah's Rincon) is a Native American gaming casino and hotel in Valley Center, California. It is owned by the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians and operated by Caesars Entertainment. Hotel rooms The h ...
introduced its first official mayor: David Hasselhoff. Hasselhoff also appeared in a cameo role in the '' Guardians of the Galaxy'' sequel, ''
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ' ...
'' as himself. He additionally performed the song "Guardians Inferno" heard over the closing credits of the film and lent his appearance to a retro styled music video for the track found on the film's DVD and Blu-Ray release. On October 28, 2019, Dolly Parton announced that David Hasselhoff would star in '' 9 to 5: The Musical'' at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End from December 2, 2019, until February 8, 2020.


Get Hasselhoff to Number 1 campaign

In 2006, fans of David Hasselhoff launched a tongue-in-cheek website "Get Hasselhoff to Number 1" in an attempt to get the 1989 hit "Looking for Freedom" to the top of the UK music charts through Internet downloads of the single. The campaign attracted attention on British radio and television broadcasts, in the national press and on the Internet. Over 40,000 people signed up to receive the "Hoff Alert" e-mail when the time had come to purchase the single. The focus of the campaign shifted to "
Jump in My Car "Jump in My Car" is a song originally recorded by Australian rock band Ted Mulry Gang in 1975. The song was written by Australian singer Ted Mulry and guitarist Les Hall, and was the first hit for the band in Australia. "Jump in My Car" was numbe ...
", when that was actually released as a single, and BBC Radio 1 DJ
Scott Mills Scott Robert Mills (born 28 March 1973) is an English radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor. He is best known for presenting the '' Scott Mills'' show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022 and since then, on BBC Radio 2. Mills has also ...
lent his support. On October 3, 2006, "the Hoff Alert" was sent out, and Hasselhoff promptly gained his highest ever UK chart entry (number 3) on October 8, 2006.


HoffSpace

In 2008, Hasselhoff launched a MySpace-like
social networking site A social networking service or SNS (sometimes called a social networking site) is an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests, act ...
, known as "HoffSpace". The site is now defunct.


''The Hasselhoffs''

Hasselhoff and his daughters, Taylor-Ann and Hayley, starred in a reality series on A&E called ''The Hasselhoffs''. The series launched on December 5, 2010, and focused on Hasselhoff's attempts to resuscitate his career and launch his daughters onto the Hollywood stage. On December 10, 2010, A&E confirmed in a statement that, after airing just two episodes, ''The Hasselhoffs'' had been canceled. According to Nielsen Co. ratings, the first episode was seen by 718,000 viewers. Viewers dropped to 505,000 for the second installment, which aired on the same evening. The full series aired in the UK on May 30, 2011, on The Biography Channel. Hasselhoff stars in a casino-style game series online, produced in partnership with Eric Bischoff with Europe being among the first markets to roll out the game. In keeping with internet and online gambling culture in the UK, "The Hoff" series of games includes video slots and scratch-card type games, all played for real money in Europe's online casino environment. The first in the series of games launched on Valentine's Day in early March 2013, with media and promotional activities commencing in early February.


''Hoff the Record''

In 2014, UK channel
Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
announced that it had commissioned ''Hoff the Record'', a sitcom series in which Hasselhoff plays a fictionalized version of himself. The series started airing on June 18, 2015.


''It's No Game and The HoffBot''

In 2017 Hasselhoff appeared in short film It's No Game by director
Oscar Sharp Oscar Sharp is a BAFTA-nominated British filmmaker best known for short films The Kármán Line, Sign Language and Sunspring, and upcoming television series The Human Conditions for HBO MAX. Work In 2010 Sign Language, about an idealistic human ...
, playing "The HoffBot". Hasselhoff's lines were generated by a neural network artificial intelligence (called Benjamin) using a statistical model trained on his own 80's and 90s television performances. Hasselhoff said the A.I. "really had a handle on what's going on in my life and it was strangely emotional".


Motivational speaking

Hasselhoff works as a motivational speaker. In January 2014, he spoke before hundreds of students at
New College Nottingham Nottingham College is one of the largest further education and higher education colleges in the United Kingdom. Based in the city of Nottingham in England, it provides education and training from pre-entry through to university-degree level at ...
in Nottingham, England. In April 2019, Hasselhoff spoke before thousands of attendees at TwitchCon Europe in Berlin, Germany.


Music career


1970s

On February 2, 1977, David Hasselhoff made his musical debut on '' The Merv Griffin Show'' performing " Nadia's Theme", the theme song from the American television soap opera '' The Young and the Restless'', the show in which Hasselhoff was starring at the time. Ten years later his version of the song was included on his second album ''
Lovin' Feelings ''Lovin' Feelings'' is the second studio album by American actor and singer David Hasselhoff. It was released on October 18, 1987, by Sony Music, CBS Records. The album was produced by Bruce Lynch and recorded in Auckland, New Zealand. The album ...
'' (1987).


1980s

Six years after his debut live performance, Hasselhoff released in 1983, his debut single "I Get the Message". In 1984, Hasselhoff made a guest appearance on the first season of '' Kids Incorporated'', performing "Do You Love Me", which became the lead single from his upcoming debut studio album, '' Night Rocker'', which was released in January 1985. The album was a big success in Austria, reaching number one there and being certified Platinum. In 1987, Hasselhoff released his second studio album, ''
Lovin' Feelings ''Lovin' Feelings'' is the second studio album by American actor and singer David Hasselhoff. It was released on October 18, 1987, by Sony Music, CBS Records. The album was produced by Bruce Lynch and recorded in Auckland, New Zealand. The album ...
'', which reached the top-twenty in Austria and West Germany, and being certified Gold in the former country. That same year, due to the popularity of '' Knight Rider'' in Europe at the time, Hasselhoff embarked on his first headlining tour across Austria, with a special guest appearance from
KITT KITT or K.I.T.T. is the short name of two fictional characters from the adventure franchise ''Knight Rider''. While having the same acronym, the KITTs are two different entities: one known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared i ...
. In 1988, Hasselhoff released the song " Looking for Freedom", which became a hit in Europe, especially in West Germany, where it reached number one for eight consecutive weeks. The song was also certified Platinum in West Germany and became the best-performing single of 1989 in the country. "Looking for Freedom" also topped the charts in Austria and Switzerland; and reached the top-twenty in France and Belgium. Due to its success, Hasselhoff released it on June 21, 1989, his third studio album of the same name, which was produced by German music producer Jack White. The album was a commercial success, reaching the top-five in Austria, West Germany and Switzerland; and being certified three-times Platinum in Europe. He was noted for his performance of the song at the
Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
on New Year's Eve 1989, two months after the Wall had come down, but nine months before unification took place. Wearing a piano-keyboard scarf and a leather jacket covered in motion lights, Hasselhoff stood in a bucket crane and performed the song along with the crowd. The performance has had a lasting impact on German pop-culture with Hasselhoff commenting that the song became an "anthem" and "song of hope" for the people of East Germany. In 2004, Hasselhoff lamented the lack of a photo of him in the
Checkpoint Charlie Museum The Checkpoint Charlie Museum (german: Das Mauermuseum – Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie) is a private museum in Berlin. It is named after the famous crossing point on the Berlin Wall, and was created to document the so-called "best bord ...
in Berlin. In July 1989, Hasselhoff released his first compilation album, ''
Knight Lover ''Knight Lover'' (subtitled ''17 Greatest Hits'') is a compilation album by the American actor David Hasselhoff. It was released in July 1989. The album contains tracks from Hasselhoff's first two studio albums, ''Night Rocker'' and ''Lovin' Feeli ...
'', who contains 17 greatest hits from his first two albums ''Night Rocker'' and ''Lovin' Feelings''. The album reached the top-twenty in Switzerland; and the top-forty in West Germany.


1990s

Following the breakthrough success of '' Looking for Freedom'', Hasselhoff embarked on his second tour, The Freedom Tour, which took around April and May 1990, across West Germany and Switzerland. In August of that year, Hasselhoff released his fourth studio album, '' Crazy for You'', which topped the charts in Austria and Switzerland, as well as reached the top-ten in West Germany, eventually becoming Hasselhoff's biggest-selling album in his career. In September 1991, Hasselhoff released his fifth studio album, '' David'', which matched the success of its predecessor, with both the album and its lead single "Do The Limbo Dance" reaching number one in Austria. That same year, in order to promote ''David'', Hasselhoff embarked on his third tour, the Dreams Come True Tour, which took around November and December 1991, across Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In late 1991, two compilation albums were released: ''Looking for Freedom'' and ''For You'', with the former album including hits from 1989 and 1990, and the latter including hits from 1985 to 1987; however, both albums failed to chart. In September 1992, Hasselhoff released his sixth studio album '' Everybody Sunshine'', which became his last album being produced by Jack White, who collaborated with Hasselhoff since 1988. Though the album was certified Gold in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, it failed to reach the commercial heights of his three previous albums, ''Looking for Freedom'', ''Crazy for You'' and ''David''. In November 1993, Hasselhoff released his seventh studio album '' You Are Everything'', which also met with moderate success in Europe, though it reached the top-ten in Austria and was certified Gold. The songs "If I Could Only Say Goodbye" and "Wir zwei allein" became hits in Europe, with the former becoming his first UK chart entry ever peaking at number 35, and the latter becoming another top-ten hit in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. That same year, he released the single "Pingu Dance" based on the children's show '' Pingu'', and his fourth compilation album, ''Crazy for You'', which contains several hits from 1989 to 1991, however, both releases failed to chart. In 1994, Hasselhoff toured across Germany in order to promote ''You Are Everything''. That same year, he was scheduled to perform a concert on
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
from Atlantic City. The concert was expected to help his singing career in the United States. However, on the night of the concert,
O. J. Simpson Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed "Juice", is an American former football running back, actor, and broadcaster who played for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Once a popular figure ...
was involved in his slow-speed chase in southern California. Viewership of the concert was significantly lower than expected due to the live coverage of the chase, and the event was ultimately a $1.5 million loss. Hasselhoff joked that "90 million people watched O. J. and three people watched me, including me and my mom and my dad". Following this, Hasselhoff released his eighth studio album ''Du'', which became Hasselhoff's first studio album not to receive any certification in Europe, and also met with moderate success on European charts. In 1995, Hasselhoff released four greatest hits albums, including his self-titled fifth compilation album, ''David Hasselhoff'', released on April 11, 1995, in the United States, which became his first album in eight years since ''
Lovin' Feelings ''Lovin' Feelings'' is the second studio album by American actor and singer David Hasselhoff. It was released on October 18, 1987, by Sony Music, CBS Records. The album was produced by Bruce Lynch and recorded in Auckland, New Zealand. The album ...
'' (1987) to be released in the US. The record includes several songs from the albums ''You Are Everything'' and ''Du''. A new recording, called "Fallin' in Love", was released as the only single from the album. To promote ''David Hasselhoff'', Hasselhoff performed for the first time "Fallin' in Love" on '' The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' aired on April 13, 1995. As attempting to launch his singing career in the US, both the album and the single "Fallin' in Love" were commercially unsuccessful, as failed to enter any ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' chart. His sixth and seventh compilation albums, ''Watch Out for the Bay'' and ''Is Everybody Happy'' were released in mid-1995, with the former album including songs from 1985 to 1987; and the latter, from 1989 to 1991; however, both albums failed to chart as well. His eighth compilation album, '' Looking for... the Best'' was released in October 1995, which contains 18 greatest hits from 1989 to 1994, including the hits " Looking for Freedom" (1988), "Crazy for You" (1990), "Do The Limbo Dance" (1991), "Everybody Sunshine" (1992), "Wir zwei allein" (1993) and "Du" (1994), as well as the US single "Fallin' in Love" (1995), and a new recording, titled "I Believe" with Laura Branigan. The album charted in Austria, peaking at number 50. Two years later, in 1997, Hasselhoff signed with Polydor Records and released his ninth studio album, ''Hooked on a Feeling''. The album became Hasselhoff's least successful album to that point in his career, becoming his first studio album that failed to chart in Germany. In 1999, a ninth compilation album was released, ''Watch Out for Hasselhoff''.


2000s

Between 2001 and 2004, two more compilations were released, ''The Very Best Of'' and ''Greatest Hits''. Seven years after the release of ''Hooked on a Feeling'', Hasselhoff returned to the music scene with his tenth studio album, '' David Hasselhoff Sings America'', released in August 2004, with the album performing slightly better on European charts, peaking at numbers 11 and 27 in Austria and Germany, respectively. That same year, Hasselhoff released his eleventh studio album, which became his first Christmas album, '' The Night Before Christmas''. The album met with negative reviews and failed to enter any chart. In 2006, Hasselhoff released "
Jump in My Car "Jump in My Car" is a song originally recorded by Australian rock band Ted Mulry Gang in 1975. The song was written by Australian singer Ted Mulry and guitarist Les Hall, and was the first hit for the band in Australia. "Jump in My Car" was numbe ...
", which debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Hasselhoff's first and only top-ten single in the UK. It also became his first and only Australian chart entry, peaking at number 50. In May 2006, Hasselhoff was mentioned in an interview of Dirk Nowitzki, an
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
star playing for the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
and a native of Germany. Nowitzki was asked what he does to concentrate when shooting foul shots. Dirk replied that he sings "Looking for Freedom" to himself. He meant this as a joke but it was thought to be a serious answer. Shortly thereafter, Hasselhoff attended the May 26, 2006, Mavericks home playoff game where they faced the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
in the NBA Western Conference Finals. Interviewed by Craig Sager, Hasselhoff stated he was as much a fan of Nowitzki as Nowitzki was a fan of him. In The
2006 NBA Finals The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 NBA season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks were favored to win the championship over the Miami Heat. Despite these odds, the Heat won the title in ...
, fans of the Miami Heat in the American Airlines Arena held up facial photos of Hasselhoff and chanted his name when Nowitzki went to the foul line. On August 2, 2006, he proclaimed himself "King of the Internet" in a tongue-in-cheek advertisement for Pipex. In December 2008, he sang the national anthem at the NCAA Las Vegas Bowl. Although the game was televised live by ESPN, the station chose not to broadcast Hasselhoff's performance. In 2008, a twelfth compilation was released under the title of ''Das Allerbeste''.


2010s

Seven years after his last album, Hasselhoff released in 2011 his twelfth studio album, ''A Real Good Feeling'', which reached number three in Austria, the top-thirty in Germany and became Hasselhoff's first album in fourteen years since ''Hooked on a Feeling'' (1997) to chart in Switzerland. Hasselhoff toured across those countries to promote the album. In 2012, he released his thirteen studio album ''This Time Around'', however, it failed to chart. In 2015, he recorded the single "True Survivor", accompanied by a music video, which featured as the lead track for the 2015 Swedish short film '' Kung Fury''. The song was composed by Mitch Murder (Johan Bengtsson). Recorded in Sweden, the song and the video is designed as an ostentatious over-the-top 1980s homage/parody, with the video featuring dinosaurs, kung fu, Adolf Hitler, skateboarding, Norse Gods and time travelling. Hasselhoff claimed that he had received the offer to record the song and the video by a request from Sweden Universal to "sing a tribute to the '80s". Hasselhoff performed a live version of the song during the 2016
Guldbagge Awards The Guldbagge Awards ( sv, Guldbaggen, en, Gold scarab) is an official and annual Swedish film awards ceremony honoring achievements in the Swedish film industry. Winners are awarded a statuette depicting a rose chafer, better known by the nam ...
. "True Survivor" debuted and peaked at number 94 on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
, becoming his first chart entry in Canada. In 2017, a retro music video called "Guardians' Inferno" was released as a bonus on the ''
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ' ...
'' home release, where Hasselhoff does the singing. In September 2019, Hasselhoff released his fourteenth studio album, ''Open Your Eyes''. The album consists of covers of popular songs such as "
Sweet Caroline "Sweet Caroline" is a song written and performed by American singer Neil Diamond and released in May 1969 as a single with the title "Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)". It was arranged by Charles Calello, and recorded at Americ ...
" and "
Lips Like Sugar "Lips Like Sugar" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released in August 1987. It was the second single from their 1987 eponymous album. Initially dismissed by Ian McCulloch as too commercial, "Lips Like Sugar" became a chart success i ...
", with all but one song featuring collaborations from other artists, including Todd Rundgren and Steve Stevens. The album charted in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, with the former reaching the top-thirty there. A promotional music video for the title track was released on YouTube on September 9, followed by the album's release on CD, vinyl, digital download and streaming services on September 27, 2019. To promote the album, as well as celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album '' Looking for Freedom'' and the song of the same name, Hasselhoff toured across Austria, Germany and Switzerland on the Freedom! The Journey Continues Tour, which took place in October 2019.


2020s

On December 10, 2020, Hasselhoff released his first heavy metal song titled "Through The Night". The song was recorded alongside CueStack, an Austrian duo who also enlisted the help of Beartooth frontman
Caleb Shomo Caleb Joshua Shomo (born December 1, 1992) is an American singer, musician, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He is most well known as the lead-vocalist of hardcore punk band Beartooth, though he records all studio instrumentals for the ba ...
to produce a retro synth-wave remix of the song.


Personal life

Hasselhoff's autobiography ''Making Waves'' was released in the UK in September 2006. In an interview in April 2006, he said the book would present the "last chapter" regarding controversial elements of his personal life. In November 2015, Hasselhoff posted a YouTube video in which he announced that he had changed his name to "David Hoff". It was then reported that he was not changing his name; that the video was an excerpt from an upcoming advertising campaign. After touring Glasgow in late 2015, Hasselhoff stated that he supports
Scottish football Association football ( sco, fitbaa, gd, ball-coise) is one of the national sports of Scotland and the most popular sport in the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scot ...
team
Partick Thistle F.C. Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland. Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908. ...


Family

Hasselhoff was married to actress Catherine Hickland from March 24, 1984, to March 1, 1989. Their wedding was recreated in the ''Knight Rider'' Season 4 episode "The Scent of Roses" which first aired on January 3, 1986. Hasselhoff married actress Pamela Bach in December 1989. The couple have two daughters: Taylor Ann Hasselhoff, born May 5, 1990, who attended the University of Arizona and was cast for the 2015 season of ''
Rich Kids of Beverly Hills ''Rich Kids of Beverly Hills'' (stylized as ''#RichKids of Beverly Hills'') is an American reality television series that premiered on E!, on January 19, 2014. The series focuses on the lives of a group of twenty-something millionaires and billi ...
'', and actress
Hayley Hasselhoff Hayley Amber Hasselhoff (born August 26, 1992) is an American actress and plus-size model. She is known for her role as Amber in the ABC Family original series ''Huge''. She is the daughter of David Hasselhoff and Pamela Bach. Hasselhoff starred ...
, born August 26, 1992. In January 2006, Hasselhoff announced he was filing for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalized in August 2006. Bach was given custody of one daughter and Hasselhoff custody of the other, until Hasselhoff later obtained custody of both. he resided in Southern California with his daughters. In late 2011, Hasselhoff began dating Hayley Roberts, from the town of Glynneath in Wales. As a new couple they attended Gordon Ramsay's Christmas special of that year. In the 2012 sequel, when asked about
engagement An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
they related how they had discussed it. On July 31, 2018 they married in
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, and in August they
honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...
ed in the Maldives. Hasselhoff is a fan of Welsh rugby union, and the couple regularly attend matches in Wales. In May 2016, Hasselhoff said he could not afford alimony of $252k a year to Bach anymore, because he had less than $4000 in cash to his name. He made $112k a month, but spent $66k and due to alimony, taxes and living expenses he had little left. In September 2017, Hasselhoff filed formal requests to end alimony payments and cited his ex-wife's "failure to make any efforts to become self supporting, contribute to her own support, or even make any efforts to gain job skills." Hasselhoff and Bach reached an agreement which reduced payments since December 1, 2017, from $10,000 to $5,000 per month.


Alcoholism

On May 3, 2007, a viral video surfaced online of Hasselhoff appearing to be severely
drunk Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...
inside his home. His daughter, Taylor Ann, who filmed the video, can be heard interrogating him and asking him to stop abusing alcohol. She also warns her father he could be jeopardizing his spot on the Las Vegas production of '' The Producers'' he starred in at the time. In the wake of the
leaked A leak is a way (usually an opening) for fluid to escape a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container. Leaks are usuall ...
clip, Hasselhoff issued a statement saying it was recorded by Taylor Ann so that he could see how he behaved while intoxicated and the footage was deliberately released. As a result of the video, Hasselhoff's visitation rights with his two daughters were suspended on May 7, 2007, for two weeks until the video's authenticity and distributor were determined. In May 2009, Hasselhoff's attorney, Mel Goldsman, described Hasselhoff as "a recovering alcoholic".


List of works


Honors and awards

* 1983 – Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Program: People's Choice Awards * 2005 – International Star of the Year Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Entertainment: Bollywood Awards * 2006 – Comeback Star of the Year: VH1 Big in '06 Awards * 2010 – The Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff: Comedy Central


References


External links

* * * *
Q&A
'' The Guardian'', April 11, 2009. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hasselhoff, David 1952 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American bodybuilders American entertainment industry businesspeople American Lutherans American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male pop singers American male soap opera actors American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American television producers California Institute of the Arts alumni Former Roman Catholics Living people Male actors from Baltimore Male actors from Jacksonville, Florida Marist School (Georgia) alumni Oakland University alumni Participants in American reality television series The Apprentice Australia candidates World record holders