For years, we gaped at him running slo-mo on the beach — with Pamela Anderson, of course! — in Baywatch. David ‘The Hoff’ Hasselhoff now gets to reprise his role of a celebrity lifeguard in Piranha 3DD, set to hit screens on June 15. An email chat.

David Hasselhoff in Baywatch

How was it working on a franchise like Piranha that combines gore and skin fest?

It was actually a lot of fun. The cast and the crew were really creative, open and fun. I even got to take a piranha home — it’s in my house now! Every time I try to feed it, it’s pretty scary. I even got a little blood in my eye once, but I kept going. What can I do, I’m a hero you know!

You play David Hasselhoff in the film! What was it like playing yourself?

There was a lot of competition out there but in the end I won the role fair and square! All those years of playing him and the extensive training finally paid off. I went into a deep trance, and every night I meditated, and I read David Hasselhoff’s book to try to find out who he was about. He is one of my favourite actors and an all-time hero, so to play him, I had to ensure that I lived up to those lofty expectations. Honestly it was a little nerve-wracking, but I think I pulled it off!

You have played yourself quite often. How was Piranha 3DD different?

The movie has a lot of blood and gore and the fish chomping on people in the least expected of places. There were so many girls in such good shape that it looked like Baywatch on steroids! It was like living in a 3D moment every time you went to the pool. It was distracting at times like, ‘Oh my god! What’s that?’ But it was more fun watching everyone in the pool get eaten by the fish. And did I tell you there was a lot of blood?

You have recently said that to play David Hasselhoff in Piranha 3DD you had to “get into the essence of David Hasselhoff”. What is the essence of David Hasselhoff?

Sushi… and running in slow motion.

Did years of Baywatch make Piranha 3DD a cakewalk for you?

No. Nothing prepared me for this movie. And I’ll never be the same ever again. Nothing. We had a blast making it. One of the signs of a good movie is when everyone is laughing on the sets. Everyone was really having a ball. It’s out there in the movie.

Hasselhoff in Piranha 3DD

You apparently overruled your manager who didn’t want you to do this film...

The first thing that I did was I saw Piranha (2010). My dad (Joe Hasselhoff) and I watched it — my dad’s 87 — and we both looked at each other and said, ‘Well, the movie kind of sucks but the girls are really hot!’ And it was so funny because we both said the same thing. So I thought, ‘Why not?’ I think it was because the girls were hot and the stunts were good.

The song Love Hunter that you have sung in the film has become quite popular...

I actually had to sing it with a girl, topless. No, two topless girls! So I said no one would ever listen to me sing with these two topless girls. So we made sure that these girls were fully clothed so that I could actually get through the song. I’m sure that’s the reason why it became so popular.

Do you think people will walk into Piranha 3DD looking to see Mitch Buchannon of Baywatch?

Yeah… of course. People will see me run in slow motion again. Only this time, it will be near a pool and not a beach. But hang around for a post-credits sequence and you might get to see some sand too.

Would you do the next Piranha film if it’s offered to you?

If I get to sing in it, then yes. If I can sing in a movie, I’ll take it!

Priyanka Roy