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‘Baywatch’ star Michael Newman has died at the age of 68, a filmmaker friend says
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‘Baywatch’ star Michael Newman has died at the age of 68, a filmmaker friend says

“Baywatch” star Michael Newman has died. He was 68 years old.

Newman died on October 20 “from heart complications,” longtime friend Matthew Felker confirmed to People magazine. Newman was surrounded by his family and friends, said Felker, who directed the recent documentary “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun.”

“I saw Mike the last time he was conscious, and he looked at me and said, in typical Mike fashion, ‘You’re just in time,’” Felker told the outlet.

“Mike and I had a very special bond and friendship,” he added in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I gave him my word when we started our series that I would help raise awareness for Parkinson’s, and the last time I saw him I told him I will continue to do that.”

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Michael Newman then and now

Michael Newman has died at the age of 68 after battling Parkinson’s disease. (Getty Images)

Newman and Felker met five years ago, according to a post the filmmaker shared on Instagram.

“After following his life for five years and becoming close friends, Mike was able to see the series come to fruition,” Felker wrote. “The amount of problems and obstacles in this series was like no other. Mike was not only a true hero. He was a competitor through and through. I knew how much this series meant to him and his life. There were times when I wanted to throw it away all in the trash… and then I remembered Mike that I couldn’t let him down. I couldn’t stop.

“Together we managed to do something that was almost impossible, despite obstacles you wouldn’t believe. Seeing him light up at our premiere in Santa Monica was worth all the credit — I stuck with it for years. He said: ‘he did it… he did it’ really worked!’ You did it Mike.

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“I saw Mike before he passed away,” he added. “He was unconscious most of the time… when I showed up he was almost miraculously awake and looked at me and said ‘you’re just in time’ and laughed. That was Mike. He found humor until the end. Before I left him , we read letters to him and played videos from friends from all walks of life. Before I left him, he grabbed my hand as tight as he could and looked me dead in the eyes and just nodded and said, “We will.” see each other again.. I promise’. A few days later I lost my friend.

Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006 at the age of 50.

“This terminal illness has given me a lot of time to think, which I may not have wanted, but it has brought me wisdom,” Newman told People magazine in August.

“My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson’s has now become the center of my life.”

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Mike Newman in Baywatch

Michael Newman appeared in 150 episodes of ‘Baywatch’. (Getty Images)

Newman rose to fame as lifeguard Mike “Newmie” Newman on “Baywatch.” He was the only cast member who was a lifeguard in real life.

Newman also appeared in more episodes than any other cast member of the series except “Baywatch” star David Hasselhoff. His face graced the TV screen for 150 episodes while the show ran from 1989 to 2001.

Co-star Donna D’Errico paid tribute to Newman on Instagram.

“Newmie was nicer to me than anyone on the show,” she wrote. “He was always kind and encouraging, but he was a gentle, calming force who made my years on ‘Baywatch’ easier. I was always so happy when we had scenes together because it was a pleasure to work with him. He knew my fear of water and inability to swim and being an excellent swimmer himself he quietly helped me through my water scenes I am so sad to hear that he passed away today.

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Michael Newman with members of the Baywatch cast

Donna D’Errico, actor and lifeguard Michael Newman and Traci Bingham attend a “Baywatch” press event to unveil the show’s new cast members on Malibu Beach on July 17, 1996. (Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

Newman is survived by his wife Sarah, their two children and a granddaughter.

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Before his death, the actor and his wife had plans to retire to Hawaii. They had built a house two blocks from where “Baywatch: Hawaii” was filmed.

“Life is short,” Newman previously told People magazine. “It’s something I didn’t often give myself a chance to think about before I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.”