Bold headline: Jessica Belkin steps into a central Baywatch role, signaling a bold, modern take on the iconic series. But here’s where it gets interesting... Belkin has secured a main part in Fox’s Baywatch reboot, joining a cast led by Stephen Amell as Hobie Buchannon and David Chokachi returning as Cody Madison.
In this new chapter, Belkin plays Charlie Vale, the biological daughter of Hobie Buchannon. The character comes to Galveston with a single mission: prove herself as a Baywatch lifeguard. Charlie is fearless, driven, and sometimes impulsive, carrying the makings of a Buchannon legend. Yet she has much to learn, and fate places her on her estranged father’s doorstep, where Hobie could become the mentor she’s long needed.
The reimagined Baywatch, a Fox and Fremantle partnership, repositions Hobie as a Baywatch Captain, following in the footsteps of his famed father, Mitch. Charlie’s entry shakes up Hobie’s world, as the Buchannon legacy is handed a new chapter. Cody Madison now runs The Shoreline, the unofficial Baywatch hangout and bar-and-grill, still donning the red trunks for occasional rescues. He serves as a guide and ally, offering support and even a few wings after every big save.
Original Baywatch debuted in 1989 and became a global phenomenon, airing in more than 200 countries and peaking at over a billion weekly viewers. The series featured David Hasselhoff and helped launch careers for stars like Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Jason Momoa, and Yasmine Bleeth.
The new Baywatch is scheduled to premiere during the 2026–2027 season, with principal photography underway on Venice Beach and at the Fox Studio Lot in Century City this spring. Producers Fox Entertainment and Fremantle have teamed up, with Matt Nix (known for Burn Notice and The Gifted) serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside McG, Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto, and Mike Horowitz. Domestic rights are held by Fox Entertainment Global, while Fremantle handles international sales.
Belkin’s recent projects include Netflix’s The Hunting Wives (Young Margo) and AMC+/Shudder’s The Last Straw, among others like American Horror Story: Hotel, Pretty Little Liars, The Orville, and Just Add Magic. She currently holds a recurring role in Paramount+’s Yellowstone spin-off The Dutton Ranch and will appear across multiple seasons of Amazon’s Elle, the Legally Blonde prequel series, which premieres July 1 and has already been renewed for a second season.
Most recently, Belkin wrapped Netflix’s Bad Day, portraying the daughter of Cameron Diaz and the granddaughter of Ed O’Neill. Her representatives include Paradigm, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Schuller Talent Management, and Stewart Brookman at Hansen, Jacobson.
