She wrapped her film Sean Patrick Flanery’s Frank and Penelope recently. It will be released in 2022
Donna D’Errico was eager to make a big splash in her “Baywatch” audition — but the actress didn’t receive one important memo.
Fox News reported that the only thing she had to do was pass a swim exam. Except I couldn’t even swim. I was very afraid of water. I could not even walk on water. The [Baywatch] swim coach asked me if I could swim right. I replied, “Of course!”
Star recalled that her test was at the YMCA pool at California’s Pacific Palisades. Starlet D’Errico stated that she was determined to be a lifeguard. D’Errico had no idea how she would convince the entire crew to let her take a few steps.
The 53-year old said, “You get to participate in the most-watched program in the world.” It was an opportunity that I will never forget. Now, I know full well that I can’t swim. This was supposed to be a basic course, not something technical. All I could think was, “What the hell am I supposed to be doing?” I still showed up at 5:05 a.m. I was told to go in the pool and do some laps to get warm. Here I am, clutching onto the edge like a scared child. He was like, “Donna, what’s the matter?” Go for a few laps. It was freezing. I couldn’t hold on. I was about to sink. Finally, he said, “Donna, get out the pool.” You can’t swim.'”
“My first reaction was to ask if you were going to tell the producers.” D’Errico chuckled. D’Errico chuckled. This is a show that features lifeguards. I was upset because I couldn’t miss out. I started swimming lessons five times per week with the main man. We met at that pool at five o’clock in morning. Every morning, I drove that far. At the time, I was a mother to a small boy. I was able to swim and tread water easier thanks to my fins.
D’Errico failed another swim test a few weeks later. She continued lessons, but failed the next exam. She passed the exam, but that didn’t matter. From 1996 to 1998, D’Errico was the star of the series as Donna Marco.
She admitted that she can’t swim “to this day”. “I am terrified of water. I can’t even walk on water. My character was in water to rescue a woman. That’s the one scene. It was a difficult task and I almost drowned while trying. You can see me uttering the F-word as I try to save a boy in this pool. It’s one thing to have fins. But it’s quite another to not have them. If you can’t swim, you are terrified. They never asked me to do another rescue. However, if you watch that episode, you’ll see my mouth utter the “f-word”!
D’Errico, despite her unfortunate incident in the water, said she enjoyed being on the show and quickly formed a bond with her castmates.
She said, “When I started, I was nervous because everyone was a huge celebrity and there was me, brand-new and shy.” “Even though I thought to myself, “How did I get this show?” But, I do remember that one time I was in my trailer, and had to go to the bathroom. I was wearing my swimsuit. You have to take the entire thing down when you wear a one-piece bathing costume. I lifted up the toilet seat to find a massive, six-foot-long lizard. It was enormous. I flew out screaming. I opened the trailer door, and David Hasselhoff was there with a few crew members who were laughing out loud. I was able to get my swimsuit on time. They were laughing so hard. That was the beginning.
D’Errico observed that Hasselhoff, now 69 years old, was determined to make everyone feel welcome on set.
She said, “He was just an everyday jokester.” He was lighthearted and eager to make people laugh. This was his way to let me know that I should relax. It was a great laugh. It was a relaxed, fun atmosphere. He loved to make people laugh. Those memories are very special to me because everyone was so friendly. Even when it was a difficult scene to film, he would say or do something afterwards to make everyone smile and laugh again. He was always so grateful to me.”
D’Errico stated that she was typecast in Hollywood after her stint on “Baywatch.” She continued to be an actress, taking on roles completely different than Marco.
She explained that she just finished ‘Survive The Game’ with Bruce Willis. “I was thrilled to be cast as the antagonist in this role.” “I have been trained in firearm handling and firearm training for a long time. That made me feel comfortable in this role. My character Carly is an ex-military. I chose to do all my stunts. I was able to do all my fight scenes by training with the stunt coordinator and the entire stunt team. It was very cool. It’s not an easy job. I chose not to wear makeup and had my hair combed. Carly is a tough girl and it was great fun.”
She shared that she just finished Sean Patrick Flanery’s film ‘Frank and Penelope’ and is very excited about it. “I am probably more excited about this movie and the character than anything I have ever been about in a very long time. It was shot 12 miles from Mexico’s border, where it is hot and desolate. We relied on one another as a cast and it shows on the screen. It’s a great show and I can’t wait for the public to see it.”
D’Errico is excited for the future. She doesn’t mind looking back on her Baywatch past.
She said, “That was pretty life-changing.”
