| Mitch Buchannon | |
|---|---|
| Baywatch character | |
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| First appearance | Panic at Malibu Pier (1989) |
| Last appearance | Baywatch (2017) |
| Portrayed by | David Hasselhoff |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | Mitch |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Lieutenant/Captain/Lifeguard (1989–2000) Private Investigator (1995–1997) |
| Family | Al Buchannon (father) Irene Buchannon (mother) Buzz Buchannon (brother) |
| Spouse | Gayle (divorced) Neely Capshaw (divorced) |
| Children | Hobie Buchannon Tanner Sloan (adopted) |
| Relatives | Alex Buchannon (uncle) Kyle Buchannon (nephew) |
| Nationality | American |
Mitch Buchannon is a fictional character from the television series Baywatch. He was played by David Hasselhoff in every season of Baywatch and Baywatch Nights plus in the first season of Baywatch Hawaii. He also appeared in three films, Baywatch the Movie: Forbidden Paradise (1995), Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay (1998) and Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003). Later, Dwayne Johnson portrayed a lifeguard also named Mitch Buchannon who is a protege of the original Mitch Buchannon in the 2017 film Baywatch.
Mitch was the main character from the series premiere of Baywatch in 1989 to the penultimate season of Baywatch: Hawaii in 2000, when Hasselhoff decided to leave the series as an actor, while remaining as executive producer. As the years progressed, Mitch increasingly served as a mentor and father figure to many of the younger lifeguards at Baywatch headquarters, helping them in work-related matters, and also issues in their personal lives.