Chris Appleton has spent years making other people look camera-ready. Now he’s stepped into Baywatch, where the job description is basically the same—just with more sun, more water, and a suspiciously relaxed attitude toward shirts.
The celebrity hairstylist is making his acting debut in the upcoming reboot, and honestly, the tone was set before anyone said “action.” This is not a slow career pivot. This is a beach arrival.
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Back in March, Appleton teased it on Instagram with: “This is my Baywatch audition”. At the time, it sounded playful. In retrospect, it sounds like a warning label the industry chose to ignore.
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Chris Appleton brings LA heat, zero layers
Before anything was confirmed, Appleton was already on set in Los Angeles doing what Baywatch characters have historically done best: existing outdoors with confidence. He was spotted shirtless, script in hand, walking around like he had already decided the lighting belonged to him. No announcement, no buildup—just someone treating a production set like a personal introduction scene. Then came the Instagram confirmation.
“Incredibly grateful for the experience” – Chris Appleton on his acting debut in Baywatch
He posted: “BTS filming Baywatch,” followed by, “Great crew, great memories, and a lot of fun. Incredibly grateful for the experience.”
A very polite caption for a photo dump that looks like summer got edited for maximum exposure.
A 14-photo flirtation with sunlight
The carousel doesn’t really behave like behind-the-scenes content. It behaves like a soft-focus argument for why humidity should be considered a casting agent.
There’s Appleton outside his trailer in Calvin Klein waistband peeking over jeans, holding a red shirt like it’s optional at best, decorative at worst.
The cameraman, the abs, and the cinematic loop
One image shows a cameraman filming a close-up of Appleton’s six-pack, which creates a very modern visual equation:
camera → camera → abs → repeat.
At some point it stops being filmmaking and starts feeling like mutual appreciation with equipment.
Baywatch returns… and so does the temperature
Set for 2027 via Fox Entertainment and Fremantle, the reboot is clearly leaning into its natural advantage: bodies, beach, and the kind of lighting that makes everything look like it’s been lightly airbrushed by the ocean breeze.
And somewhere in the middle of it, Chris Appleton doesn’t feel like a surprise casting choice so much as someone who showed up, took one look at Baywatch, and decided the shoreline needed a little more styling.