Decades after playing a bombshell lifeguard on the hit show, Baywatch alum Erika Eleniak looks completely different in an edgy new movie role.
Eleniak, 56, who played Shoni McClain in the first three seasons of the ’90s surf series, flaunted her impressive ink sleeves in a photo from her new film Alchemy in Venice via Instagram.
In the photo, the actress pairs an embroidered black jacket with a lace shirt and a chunky belt. She accessorized with bold statement jewelry and showed off her hand-length tattoos.
“From our distinguished leader John Fitzgerald: It’s over! Filming wrapped last Saturday and we’re moving on to post-production,” she captioned a photo she posted on Instagram. “I can’t wait to get this project together and share it with you all soon. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Stay tuned!”
Many fans in the comments section praised her dramatic look, which was a stark contrast to her “Baywatch” days.
One fan exclaimed: “Can’t wait to see more. You look amazing,” while another wrote: “Late to the party. I didn’t know you had tattoos.”
Others were a little surprised by her expression, with one writing: “Did I miss something?”
Page Six first revealed the blonde beauty’s dramatic transformation in an exclusive photo of the actress walking her dog in suburban California in 2023.
Eleniak explained why she has so many tattoos during an appearance on the Still Here Hollywood podcast over the summer.
“Every tattoo I have has a meaning,” she said on a June episode, noting that she started getting the tattoos on her back when she was “in my late 20s” after her stint on Baywatch ended.
“I love tattoos. I love when my body becomes a canvas to tell my story. It’s just fun,” she added.
Eleniak rose to fame at just 12 years old for her role in Steven Spielberg’s iconic 1982 film E.T.
She became a global sex symbol by the ’90s for her role in Baywatch and even posed for Playboy magazine.
Eleniak revealed that she ultimately quit the show because she “wanted to do something more serious” and “didn’t feel comfortable wearing a sexy little bikini.”
“Running around the beach in a thong didn’t sound like a fun time to me,” she joked.
Throughout the ’90s, she moved into thriller and action films, which she said she “really enjoyed” and is still “really proud of.”
Eleniak married bodybuilder Philip Gorgia in 1998, but they divorced after just six months.
In the early 2000s, she began dating film director Roch Daigle, moved to Canada, and married in 2005. A year later a daughter was born.
Although she still works as an actress, the former model now lives a quiet life in suburban California with her 19-year-old daughter Indianna Daigle.
