Background
Newman, Michael J. was born on January 15, 1957 in New York City. Son of Robert and Ruth Ellen (Jackson) Newman.
Newman, Michael J. was born on January 15, 1957 in New York City. Son of Robert and Ruth Ellen (Jackson) Newman.
He excelled at swimming and water sports and attended Pacific Palisades High School. He later attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he majored in advertising.
He is known for his role on the hit television series playing a fictional lifeguard sharing his real name. He became an actor on the show after having been originally hired as a consultant. Newman started his career as a lifeguard at the age of 10 when he joined the junior lifeguards.
Newman took the firefighter"s exam while waiting to be hired as a lifeguard.
He soon found the two to be compatible. He has an older brother who is a Los Angeles County Lifeguard.
Newman also made frequent appearances on the show as an actor, making him the only real lifeguard featured on the show. He remained on the show through its entire run, becoming a regular cast member in the opening credits in 1996.
The exposure from the show made him an international star over the years.
Newman even had his own official fan club at the height of his popularity. Many of the rescue scenes on the show were reenacted from actual rescues Newman participated in as a lifeguard. In November 2011, Newman revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson"s Disease after seeking medical attention for a hand tremor.
Member Linguistic Society of America, Out in Linguistics, American Educational Research Association.