Long before thirst traps took over the For You Page, Pamela Anderson running in slow motion down the beach defined a generation. So when Fox announced a Baywatch reboot, complete with an open casting call, the internet did what it does best: exploded.
Roughly 2,000 hopefuls reportedly showed up in the franchise’s signature red swimsuit, according to the Los Angeles Times, as casting directors searched for “new faces” with “authentic SoCal energy.” The open call, per an official press release, aimed to give aspiring talent “a rare opportunity” to audition for the series.
But one name fans kept bringing up never actually made it to the sand: Kira Pregiato. “My DMs were genuinely out of control,” the OnlyFans creator said. “People were tagging me in the casting announcement, sending me clips, full-on campaigning for me to go. It was really sweet, honestly, but also kind of overwhelming.”
Pregiato understands why the comparisons started immediately. “The biggest comparison I get is basically a modern-day Pamela Anderson,” she said. “My fans have literally been saying it forever, so when the reboot got announced, they kind of lost it.”
She first went viral in 2024 after a TikTok about cologne pulled in more than 20 million views in 48 hours, a moment she has described as “surreal.” Shortly after, she left college to pursue content creation full-time. Today, she boasts roughly 2.5 million TikTok followers and nearly 1 million on Instagram.
The Anderson parallels have extended beyond her fanbase. The Blast described her December 2025 red swimsuit post as “channeling old-school Pamela Anderson vibes with a modern-day twist,” a comparison Pregiato doesn’t dismiss lightly.
“Pamela is iconic. She built an empire in a red one-piece,” she said. “If I ever get compared to that, even loosely, I’m not mad about it.”
So why skip the audition?
“I thought about it, genuinely,” she explained. “But I didn’t want to just show up for a moment. If something like that ever came my way for real, I’d absolutely say yes. I just want it to feel right.”
The reboot, starring Stephen Amell as an adult Hobie Buchannon and featuring original cast member David Chokachi, is slated to begin production in March on Venice Beach, with a premiere planned for the 2026–27 season.
For now, Pregiato is focused on expanding into fashion and skincare, though she hasn’t ruled out television. “I’m not closing any doors,” she said. “But I don’t need a red swimsuit to make waves. I’ve been doing that.”
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