“Baywatch” Lifeguard Mike Newman on What 'You Never Get Used to' About Hollywood That Prompted Him to Quit Acting

The former actor played Newmie Newman on the hit action series from 1989 to 2000

From 1989 to 2000, Mike Newman spent his days on the beach and in front of cameras playing lifeguard Newmie Newman on the hit action series Baywatch. But after the show ended, he walked away from acting entirely.

The retired star, who recently opened up to PEOPLE about his 16-year struggle with Parkinson's disease, is now sharing why he quit acting and never looked back.

Related: Baywatch Lifeguard Mike Newman Opens Up About His 16-Year Struggle with Parkinson's: 'Everything Changes' (Exclusive)

Though Newman, 66, says he "took great pleasure" in acting, he acknowledges, "You don't realize how hard it is to look natural in front of the lens and watch yourself improve and, sometimes, not improve."

But he never really got swept up in the allure of fame, saying of the entertainment industry: "If you didn't have to be there, why would you be? Let's be honest ... there's not too many actors that have survived the years of working in Hollywood."

Newman tells PEOPLE he essentially started off as a "stuntman" on Baywatch, appearing for seven years before finally securing a spot in the opening credits. As the only real-life lifeguard in the cast — not to mention a working firefighter — he says he was "too useful" to get rid of.

Looking back on his many stunts over the years, he says, "There isn't anything in the world that I can't do, whether it's sailing a boat or scuba diving or tackling a guy off a jet ski. I love doing all that stuff."

"But," he continues, "having to deal with the people who scratch your name out on the script and put their name on there? That kind of thing ... you never get used to that."

Related: 'Baywatch' Cast: Where Are They Now?

The original Baywatch ran for 11 seasons, focusing on a group of lifeguards patrolling the beaches of Los Angeles and, later, Hawaii. David Hasselhoff's Mitch Buchannon led the team as an original cast member, with Pamela Anderson booking a star-making turn as C.J. Parker in season 3.

Related: Pamela Anderson Channels Iconic 'Baywatch' Look in Slinky, Red Tank Gown at Her Documentary Premiere

The series was initially canceled after running for just one season on NBC, but it found unexpected success in syndication and became was the most-watched television series in the world at its peak. Many contemporary and future stars appeared on the show and its spinoffs, including Aloha State native Jason Momoa as a lifeguard during two seasons of Baywatch: Hawaii. (Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron even did a high-gloss send-up of the series in 2017's comedic big-screen riff, also called Baywatch.)

As for Newman, he appeared in a total of 150 episodes of the main series, all while making appearances in 1989's Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier, 1998's Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay and three episodes of the short-lived spinoff Baywatch Nights.

Newman and other original cast members will appear in an upcoming four-part series, Baywatch: The American Dream. Directed by Matt Felker, it's slated to explore the cultural legacy of the series and lives of the stars. It will also dive into Newman's struggle with Parkinson's disease.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Baywatch is available to stream now on Amazon Prime and Peacock.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.