Hasselhoff rides in for film shoot

David Hasselhoff will leave the chatty car and swimtrunks behind for the film he's shooting in Calgary.

by Kevin Wiliamson, Calgary Sun

WATCH IT ... Baywatch star David Hasselhoff, seen here arriving at Calgary International Airport yesterday, is in town for three weeks to shoot a movie. - Carlos Amat, Calgary Sun

The Baywatch and Knight Rider actor Nov. 12 arrived at Calgary International Airport and will star in the production "Don't Call Me Tonto".

"It's like Smoky and the Bandit meets There's Something About Mary meets The Electric Horseman," said the 50-year-old actor.

"It's a bit of a change - that's why I'm doing it. It's a lot of fun and it's something that my kids can see. It's a well-written script."

Hasselhoff and his wife, Pamela, have two daughters: Taylor Ann, 5, and Hayley Amber, 3.

This marks the actor's first time filming in Calgary.

I've never been here before, although I've shot a lot in Vancouver and Toronto," the actor said.

He expects to be filming here for three weeks.

Hasselhoff, who got his start on TV on the soap opera "The Young and The Restless" two decades ago, became a primetime celebrity with his role as Michael Knight on the hit NBC series "Knight Rider".

In the series, he played a vigilante who fought crime with the help of a computerized Trans-Am.

A few years later, he starred in the short-lived lifeguard series "Baywatch", which became a bonanza for the star when he took the series into syndication. Among the stars it launched are Pamela Lee Anderson and Gena Lee Nolin.

BUSY INDUSTRY

"Don't Call Me Tonto" is one of numerous small- and large-scale productions currently filming in and around the city.

Also in town is Chevy Chase, who's filming the family film The Great Goose Caper.

Hasselhoff recently finished shooting the Baywatch television movie, "Baywatch Hawaiian Wedding", which is scheduled to air on Fox in March.

He made headlines this year by announcing he had sought treatment for alcohol abuse.