Michelle Williams' First Role Is One You Saw - But Forgot Existed
When it comes to acting, it's hard to top the career achievements Michelle Williams has collected over the years. With five Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe wins, and over 220 other awards and nominations under her belt, she's shown Hollywood how it's done in projects that range from the punchy drama of "Brokeback Mountain" and "Manchester by the Sea" to the special effects-laden action mayhem of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage."
As befits her admirable and wide-spanning career, Williams started her screen acting with a bang, appearing in one of the biggest TV shows of the 1990s. Though you may have seen her in "Baywatch," you might have forgotten she ever appeared in the show. Yet, she did precisely that — and not just once, but twice.
In 1993, Williams appeared on the "Baywatch" Season 4 opener, "Race Against Time: Part 1." The season premiere is structured around a plane crash, but there are plenty of other things going on. One of the most charming parts of the episode is Williams' cameo as Bridget Bowers. Mitch Buchannon's (David Hasselhoff) son, Hobie (Jeremy Jackson), knows her from school, and the two have a conversation that ends with Bridget inviting Hobie to a party ... much to the delight of Mitch, who watches it with pride. Williams also makes an uncredited appearance in Season 4, Episode 12 — "Second Time Around."
Baywatch is known for its early-bird celebrity cameos
As questionable as some parts of the show have become with age, there's no denying that "Baywatch" owned the 1990s. Because of its status during its heyday, many talented actors who became stars appeared on the series over the years. Some of them are arguably even more surprising than Michelle Williams.
Bryan Cranston was already a veteran journeyman actor when he appeared on the "Baywatch" Season 1 episode "Cruise Ship" as Captain Tom Logan, but still over a decade away from his first breakaway success as Hal Wilkerson on "Malcolm in the Middle" — let alone his career-defining role as Walter White on "Breaking Bad." There's also "The Matrix" star Carrie-Anne Moss, who played twins on the Season 4 episode "Mirror, Mirror." Mila Kunis appeared as Annie in Season 5 and played Bonnie in Season 6. Even Mariska Hargitay, who rose to fame in the decidedly un-"Baywatch"-like role of Olivia Benson in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," turned up as Lisa Peters in Season 1.
As these various appearances by future superstars show, Williams is by no means alone with her "Baywatch" past — and her charming 1993 cameo serves as a fun way for fans to remember where the A-lister started her stellar career.