Erika Eleniak "Baywatch" Encore

Erika Eleniak "Baywatch" Encore

From Still Here Hollywood by Steve Kmetko, Still Here Network

July 13, 2026 · 48 min · Episode 149

About this episode

Erika Eleniak discusses her career, personal struggles, and experiences in Hollywood with host Steve Kmetko.

Baywatch icon Erika Eleniak joins Steve Kmetko on Still Here, Hollywood for a raw, honest conversation about fame, body image, and reinvention. Before she became one of the most recognizable faces of 90s television as lifeguard Shauni McClain on Baywatch, Erika stole hearts as the babysitter in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. In this episode, she opens up about being personally cast by Spielberg at age 12, the real story behind that iconic E.T. kiss scene, and what it was actually like filming Baywatch's famous slow-motion beach runs in freezing January water. Erika also gets candid about her Playboy pictorial and the career obstacles it created, her decision to walk away from Baywatch after just two seasons, working alongside Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey on Under Siege, her ongoing struggle with body image, and how becoming a single mother reshaped everything she thought she knew about resilience, fame, and what she wants next. Whether you grew up watching Baywatch reruns or you're discovering Erika Eleniak's career for the first time, this episode is a candid, unfiltered look behind the red swimsuit and the Hollywood machine. 🔔 Subscribe to Still Here…

People in this episode

Host: Steve Kmetko

Guest: Erika Eleniak

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Baywatch

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