Original series star David Chokachi will return to Fox’s Baywatch reboot, Variety reports.
Chokachi will reprise his role as Cody Madison in the Fox version, co-starring recently announced series star Stephen Amell. Amell will play Hobie Buchannon, the son of legendary lifeguard Mitch Buchannon from the original show.
According to the official character description, Cody currently “runs Baywatch’s unofficial official bar and grill, The Shoreline, and still wears his red trunks on occasional lifesaving shifts. He is a friend and mentor who provides a second home to his fellow lifeguards, always offering free wings after a big save.”
Chokachi appeared on Baywatch from season 6 and continued until season 9. He also appeared in shows such as TNT’s “Witchblade” and Noggin’s surfing drama “Beyond the Break.” His film work includes “Atlantic Rim,” “Psycho Beach Party,” and “Soul Surfer.”
He is repped by LINK Entertainment and Singular Talent.
In September 2025, Fox decided to order 12 episodes of Baywatch for the 2026-2027 broadcast season. Fox is scheduled to host a public casting call for the show on February 18, and production is expected to begin this spring in Los Angeles.
Matt Nix will serve as showrunner and executive producer of the reboot alongside McG, Michael Burke, Greg Bonnan, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto, and Mike Horowitz. McG will also direct the series premiere episode. The series is co-produced by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle.
At its peak, “Baywatch” was the most-watched show in the world, airing in more than 200 countries. The ensemble cast includes David Hasselhoff as head lifeguard Mitch Buchannon, who helped launch the acting careers of stars such as Pamela Anderson, Jason Momoa, Yasmine Buress, and Carmen Electra. The show also spawned a short-lived spinoff, Baywatch Nights, and was rebooted in 2017 as a feature film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Zac Efron.
