Who to Watch Baywatch star David Chokachi and his new role on screen.
The Former star of the Baywatch series David Chokachi stars in the leading role and produces the action-packed new film EMERALD RUN. Getting his big break in earlier years starring opposite 'The Hoff' on the hit drama, David is also known for his starring role on TNT's WITCHBLADE. EMERALD RUN reunites David with two of his co-stars from WITCHBLADE, Yancy Butler also seen in hit movie Drop Zone, and Eric Eterabi.
Over the past decade, David has headlined a large number of feature films such as: BATS : HUMAN HARVEST, RAGE OF THE YETI, ATLANTIC RIM, and JET STREAM, and SOUL SURFER with Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid. Star of his latest project "Emeral Run, David plays the lead role in the highly-anticipated new film which is now available in the United States.
As featured on this issues cover , for Spring / Summer Digital for the 2022 issue, David shares with VSM - his experience working along side his wife Yancy Butler (playing wife in Emeral Run) and how he stays in such great shape today and his secrets to staying fit during the hit tv show "Baywatch". Now that we are getting closer to summer, the timing could not be better for anyone looking to get fit for the beachwear wardrobe months. With the popular tv "Baywatch", where you may recognize David on the beach, I had to make sure and ask how he stayed in fit for the hit show and now. Below is a behind the scenes look at the star and one of his latest projects.
The Interview
VSM (3-part question) Can you share with our readers, an overview of the movie EMERALD RUN, your character, and what is was like to prepare and play the leading role in the movie?
David - In Emerald Run, I play John Thomas, a carpenter, surfer, and family man, whose daughter is suffering from an illness that the doctors cannot diagnose. He is struggling financially, and willing to do whatever it takes to save his daughter, but that is going to cost a lot of money, money he doesn’t he have.
When his father in law, Chris Mulkey, offers him a job that could provide him with money needed to save his daughter, he jumps at the opportunity. The wrinkle is, that he has to travel to Mexico with a suitcase full of cash, and smuggle back a bunch of emeralds. A battle for survival takes place for John, and as he wanders the Mexican landscape, looking for a way out, he has a number of spiritual experiences and is ultimately saved by a loner of a man, who patrols the area.
John, through the journey finds his faith again, and starts believe in something in bigger than him. It’s a story of redemption, revenge and a willingness to do whatever it takes to save his daughter, and keep his family intact. Well, preparing for the role was super fun for me, because the character and I have a lot in common. I am carpenter in real life, and an avid surfer, and I have an 8 year old daughter, so I had a lot to draw on to play this character. We shot a big portion of the movie out in desert near the Salton Sea in California. "It was weeks of filming in the freezing, and also brutally hot, unforgiving desert. However, I live for this stuff, I love nothing more than being covered in dirt and blood, and partaking in lots of action that was required to play this role."
VSM What was your experience working with your wife in the movie?
David - Yancy Butler played my wife in the movie, and we have a great friendship that goes back 20 years to when we were filming Witchblade up in Toronto, Canada. We spent almost 3 years shooting that hit tv show, and we became fast friends. We also shot a movie in Bulgaria together for the SyFy Channel, and recently shot a pilot/2 hour movie, called Last Call in the Dog House together Yancy is a pro, and we have a blast anytime we get a chance to work together. She’s raises the bar of any scene she is in, so our work together is really good.
VSM With the current situation going on in the world, would you say playing the role in this movie has helped you and your family deal with the current challenges we are facing today?
David - That’s a great question. I know for my own family, and especially my daughter, I would do anything to keep her safe. I mean anything. In my life, I train and workout with the idea that if I had to run into a burning building, to save someone I could do it. It’s a primal mentality, having the strength and stamina to do whatever it takes if a dire situation comes up. I trail run, surf, swim, lift weights and do lots of yoga and cross training, so If i am ever put to the test, I can rise to the occasion. I do this on a daily basis, and I did it when filming the movie, and when I train like that, it puts me in the head space of man who can go the distance, no matter what. Never Quit. That’s me in real life, and that’s also a characteristic of John Thomas.
VSM Going back in time a bit... can you tell us your experience working in the television hit series Baywatch?
David - Working on Baywatch was one of the most fun jobs I have ever had. I grew up on the ocean in Massachusetts, and I learned to sail and race sailboats at a very young age. I spent a lot of my youth in and around the ocean, so when it came time to play the role of Cody Madison on Baywatch, I was more than ready. I knew how to drive the speedboats we used in Baywatch, I was already a certifies scuba diver, and I was a great ocean swimmer, so all my strengths allowed for the writers to write these elaborate ocean action sequences for me, and I got to do all of my own stunts on the show as a result.
You can’t fake having a comfort level in the ocean, it only comes with experience, and I had that experience in abundance. Also, they teamed my character up with Pamela Anderson’s, our characters were boyfriend and girlfriend, and Pam and I had a blast together. We are a lot alike in many ways, we both like to find the humor in any situation, and really enjoy being goofy.
Our chemistry was instant, and it really shows when you watch the show. A talented actor that has been on the screen for a many years is still showing his best on and off screen. Seeing the energy and determination to continue staying in shape has been inspiring and I am eager to try to do the same for my own personal health.