David Hasselhoff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Hasselhoff
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Hasselhoff in 2014
|
|
| Born |
David Michael Hasselhoff
July 17, 1952 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
|
| Other names | The Hoff |
| Education | Oakland University California Institute of the Arts |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Catherine Hickland
(m. 1984; div. 1989)Pamela Bach
(m. 1989; div. 2006)Hayley Roberts
(m. 2018) |
| Children | 2, including Hayley |
| Awards | Hollywood Walk of Fame |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | |
David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), often called "The Hoff", is a famous American actor, singer, and TV star. He holds a Guinness World Record for being the most watched man on television.
Hasselhoff first became well-known on the soap opera The Young and the Restless (1975–1982). He played Dr. Snapper Foster in the show. Later, he starred as Michael Knight in the action series Knight Rider (1982–1986). He also played L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the popular drama Baywatch (1989–2000). He even helped produce Baywatch from the 1990s until it ended in 2001.
David Hasselhoff has appeared in many movies. These include Dodgeball (2004), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), and Click (2006). He was also the first actor to play the Marvel Comics character Nick Fury in a TV movie in 1998. In 2000, he started acting on Broadway in the musical Jekyll & Hyde. He later starred in other musicals like Chicago and The Producers.
As a singer, Hasselhoff has released 15 studio albums. Many of these were very popular in German-speaking parts of Europe. His song "Looking for Freedom" was number one in Germany and Switzerland. He has also been a judge on TV talent shows. These include America's Got Talent (2006–2009) and Britain's Got Talent (2011).
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Hasselhoff was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His mother, Dolores Theresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Joseph Vincent Hasselhoff, was a business executive. His family has German, English, and Irish roots. His great-great-grandmother came to Baltimore from Germany in 1865.
He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and later lived in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended Marist School. David first acted on stage at age seven in Peter Pan. He always dreamed of working on Broadway. He finished high school at Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois, in 1970. He was active in many school activities, including the speech team and choir. He also played lead roles in several plays. He studied theater at Oakland University and the California Institute of the Arts until 1973.
Starting His Acting Career
Hasselhoff played Dr. "Snapper Foster" on The Young and the Restless from 1975 to 1982. He left the show when many original characters were written out. He appeared in a film in 1974 to join the Screen Actors Guild. In 1979, he played "Simon" in Starcrash. He began his singing career on the children's show Kids Incorporated. He also guest-starred on Diff'rent Strokes and Santa Barbara.
Starring in Knight Rider
NBC chose Hasselhoff to star in the action series Knight Rider. He played Michael Knight from 1982 to 1986. Hasselhoff has called Knight Rider a "phenomenon" and "bigger than Baywatch". He said its success came from "saving lives, not taking lives." He also noted that it showed "how one man really can make a difference."
He explained that acting in Knight Rider was challenging because he had to talk to a car. His role earned him the Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Program award in 1983.
The Success of Baywatch
Hasselhoff returned to TV with Baywatch, which started in 1989. The show was canceled after one season, but Hasselhoff believed in it. He helped bring it back in 1991 by investing his own money and becoming an executive producer. His contract gave him money from reruns, which allowed him to buy the rights to Baywatch from NBC.
Baywatch became very successful in its second run. It aired for 11 years and was watched by nearly 1 billion viewers in 140 countries. This made him one of the most famous TV personalities of that time. His success from Baywatch and other projects made him very wealthy.
In 1991, Hasselhoff played Michael Knight again in the TV movie Knight Rider 2000. This movie was meant to start a new series, but the idea was dropped.
Career Highlights and Appearances
In 1996, David Hasselhoff received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He sang a duet with Filipino singer Regine Velasquez in 1997. This song was the main theme for his 1998 movie Legacy. He made his Broadway debut in 2000 in Jekyll & Hyde. In 2004, he played the lead role in Chicago in London for three months.
Hasselhoff has often made fun of himself in movies. He had a big role in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), playing himself. He also appeared in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story as a German dodgeball coach. In the 2006 film Click, he played Adam Sandler's boss. He also appeared in an episode of Wildboyz and the comedy Kickin' It Old Skool (2007).
In his music video for "Jump in My Car", he parodied his role as Michael Knight from Knight Rider. The video featured a car similar to KITT from the show. In 2006, Mel Brooks announced Hasselhoff would play Roger DeBris in the Las Vegas production of The Producers.
From 2006 to 2009, Hasselhoff was a judge on NBC's America's Got Talent. He judged alongside Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan. He was replaced by Howie Mandel for the fifth season.
Later Career and Projects
Hasselhoff has given talks at both the Oxford and Cambridge Student Unions. He was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2010. He also joined the Britain's Got Talent judging panel in 2011.
In 2008, he returned as Michael Knight in the movie Knight Rider 2008. He was the first celebrity character available for the PlayStation Network video game Pain in 2008. In 2010, he guest-hosted WWE Raw in London. He also returned to The Young and the Restless for a short time in 2010.
In October 2010, he played Captain Hook in the pantomime Peter Pan in London. He played this role again in 2012. In 2011, he was a guest judge on the Belgian Idols competition. He also toured Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to promote his music.
In 2014, he started his own talk show in Sweden on TV3. A similar show was later filmed in Finland. He performed at the Brandenburg Gate on New Year's Eve. Hasselhoff had a major role in Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015). He also starred in a new musical, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, in 2015.
In 2017, he became the first official mayor of Funner, California. He also had a cameo role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. He sang the song "Guardians Inferno" for the film's closing credits. In 2019, Dolly Parton announced he would star in 9 to 5: The Musical in London.
Get Hasselhoff to Number 1 Campaign
In 2006, fans started a fun website called "Get Hasselhoff to Number 1". They wanted his 1989 song "Looking for Freedom" to reach the top of the UK music charts. The campaign gained attention on British radio and TV. Over 40,000 people signed up for updates. The campaign then focused on his single "Jump in My Car". On October 8, 2006, "Jump in My Car" reached number 3 on the UK chart. This was his highest chart entry in the UK.
HoffSpace Social Network
In 2008, Hasselhoff launched his own social networking site called "HoffSpace". It was similar to MySpace but is no longer active.
The Hasselhoffs Reality Show
Hasselhoff and his daughters, Taylor-Ann and Hayley, starred in a reality TV series. The show, called The Hasselhoffs, aired on A&E in December 2010. It showed Hasselhoff trying to boost his career and help his daughters become famous. After only two episodes, the show was canceled in the US. However, the full series aired in the UK in 2011.
Hoff the Record Sitcom
In 2014, the UK channel Dave announced a sitcom called Hoff the Record. In this show, Hasselhoff plays a funny, fictional version of himself. The series began airing on June 18, 2015.
It's No Game and The HoffBot
In 2017, Hasselhoff appeared in a short film called It's No Game. He played a character called "The HoffBot". His lines were created by an artificial intelligence (AI) program. The AI used his past TV performances to generate the dialogue. Hasselhoff said the AI "really had a handle on what's going on in my life."
Motivational Speaking Engagements
David Hasselhoff also works as a motivational speaker. In January 2014, he spoke to students at New College Nottingham in England. In April 2019, he spoke to thousands of people at TwitchCon Europe in Berlin, Germany.
Hoff Roading TV Series
In late 2023, Hasselhoff and New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby filmed a New Zealand TV series. The show was originally called Hoff the Beaten Track. In May 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery New Zealand announced they had bought the rights to the series. They renamed it Hoff Roading.
Music Career Highlights
1970s Music Beginnings
David Hasselhoff first performed music on The Merv Griffin Show on February 2, 1977. He sang "Nadia's Theme", which was the theme song from The Young and the Restless. He was starring in that show at the time. Ten years later, his version of the song was on his second album, Lovin' Feelings (1987).
1980s Music Success
In 1983, Hasselhoff released his first single, "I Get the Message". In 1984, he sang "Do You Love Me" on Kids Incorporated. This song became the lead single from his first album, Night Rocker, released in January 1985. The album was very popular in Austria, reaching number one and selling many copies. In 1987, he released Lovin' Feelings, which was also successful in Austria and West Germany. Because Knight Rider was so popular in Europe, Hasselhoff went on his first tour across Austria in 1987.
In 1988, Hasselhoff released "Looking for Freedom". This song became a huge hit in Europe, especially in West Germany. It was number one for eight weeks there. The song also topped the charts in Austria and Switzerland. His third album, also called Looking for Freedom, came out in June 1989. It was a big commercial success. He famously performed the song at the Berlin Wall on New Year's Eve 1989. He stood in a crane and sang with the crowd. This performance had a lasting impact on German pop culture. Hasselhoff said the song became an "anthem" and "song of hope" for people in East Germany. In July 1989, he released his first collection of hits, Knight Lover.
1990s Music Journey
After the success of Looking for Freedom, Hasselhoff went on his second tour, The Freedom Tour, in 1990. In August 1990, he released his fourth album, Crazy for You. This album topped the charts in Austria and Switzerland and became his best-selling album. In September 1991, he released David, which was also very successful. He toured again in 1991 to promote David. In September 1992, he released Everybody Sunshine. This album was certified Gold in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
In November 1993, Hasselhoff released You Are Everything. This album also did well in Europe. The song "If I Could Only Say Goodbye" became his first song to chart in the UK. He toured Germany in 1994 to promote the album. That same year, he planned a concert in the United States. However, on the night of the concert, O. J. Simpson was involved in a famous car chase. Many people watched the chase instead of the concert. Hasselhoff joked that "90 million people watched O. J. and three people watched me." After this, he released his eighth album, Du.
In 1995, Hasselhoff released several greatest hits albums. His self-titled album, David Hasselhoff, was released in the United States in April 1995. It included new songs like "Fallin' in Love". He performed "Fallin' in Love" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. However, this album and single were not successful in the US. In October 1995, he released Looking for... the Best, which included 18 hits. In 1997, he released Hooked on a Feeling, which was less successful.
2000s Music Ventures
Between 2001 and 2004, two more collections of his songs were released. In August 2004, Hasselhoff returned with his tenth album, David Hasselhoff Sings America. This album did better on European charts. That same year, he released his first Christmas album, The Night Before Christmas. In 2006, Hasselhoff released "Jump in My Car". This song reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, his only top-ten single there. It also charted in Australia.
In 2006, NBA star Dirk Nowitzki joked that he sang "Looking for Freedom" to himself to focus. Hasselhoff later attended a Mavericks playoff game. He told Craig Sager he was a big fan of Nowitzki. In December 2008, he sang the national anthem at the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl.
2010s Music and Beyond
In 2011, Hasselhoff released his twelfth album, A Real Good Feeling. It reached number three in Austria and charted in Germany and Switzerland. He toured these countries to promote the album. In 2012, he released his thirteenth album, This Time Around, but it did not chart.
In 2015, he recorded "True Survivor" for the Swedish short film Kung Fury. The song and its music video were a fun tribute to the 1980s. The video featured dinosaurs, kung fu, and time travel. Hasselhoff said he was asked to "sing a tribute to the '80s." "True Survivor" charted in Canada. In 2017, he sang "Guardians' Inferno" for the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 movie.
In September 2019, Hasselhoff released his fourteenth album, Open Your Eyes. It includes covers of popular songs and collaborations with other artists. The album charted in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. He toured to promote the album and celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Looking for Freedom".
2020s Music Releases
On December 10, 2020, Hasselhoff released his first heavy metal song, "Through The Night". He recorded it with CueStack, an Austrian music duo.
Personal Life and Family
Hasselhoff's autobiography, Making Waves, was released in the UK in September 2006. In November 2015, Hasselhoff posted a YouTube video saying he changed his name to "David Hoff." It was later reported that this was part of an advertising campaign. After visiting Glasgow in 2015, Hasselhoff said he supports the Scottish football team Partick Thistle F.C..
Family Life
.jpeg)
Hasselhoff was married to actress Catherine Hickland from 1984 to 1989. Their wedding was even shown in an episode of Knight Rider.
He married actress Pamela Bach in December 1989. They have two daughters: Taylor Ann Hasselhoff, born in 1990, and actress Hayley Hasselhoff, born in 1992. They divorced in August 2006.
In late 2011, Hasselhoff started dating Hayley Roberts from Glynneath in Wales. They often attend Welsh rugby union matches together. They married on July 31, 2018, in Apulia, and honeymooned in the Maldives.
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
See also
In Spanish: David Hasselhoff para niños
