Carmen Electra has recently opened up about being criticized for her weight while she was filming Baywatch.
The TV series, which premiered in 1989, featured a team of lifeguards patrolling the beaches of Los Angeles, with their primary roles often appearing to be maintaining their attractiveness, followed by actually rescuing people.
Featuring stars like Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff, Baywatch has become a cultural icon. It’s hard to think of red swimsuits and slow-motion running without recalling the show’s numerous montages.
Electra, one of the show’s most memorable cast members, joined in 1997 as Lani McKenzie and quickly became a well-known figure and early 2000s bombshell.
Though it might be hard to believe for those who watched Baywatch, Electra recently disclosed that her on-screen confidence masked situations happening off-camera.
This week, during the Los Angeles premiere of the docuseries After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, Electra was asked by Extra if she ever felt the pressure from the beauty ideals promoted by the show.
“I did, because I was always told that I need to lose weight,” Electra responded.
“I grew up studying classical ballet and that was what was happening in my life. So I think as time went on, I would still listen to that and take it to heart.”
However, the actress mentioned that she can now appreciate her body as it was during her time on the show, saying: “When I look back, I love my body and I love that I was curvy, and not like, straight up and down.”
“Those times have changed. You can’t do that anymore,” she added.
“It was kind of the beginning of those times where producers could come to you and say, ‘You need to stop eating some snacks’.
“For that moment, I really did take it seriously as a professional dancer because that was always engraved into my mind growing up,” she continued.
Electra went on to express her gratitude for the more accepting social and professional environments of today.
“I love being a part of this time era where you can’t just go in and tell someone how they should live, who they should date, and what weight you should be. I love what’s happening now,” Electra said.
“I feel like everyone is coming to be who they are and it’s very accepted, you know? And I love the people that have supported me through my career,” she added.
“I know who they are, and my heart skips a beat because without everyone, there wouldn’t be any of this.”