Baywatch star opens up about the ‘wildest’ fan encounter of her career

Erika Eleniak has revealed the most mind-blowing fan moment she’s experienced – and it involved a tattoo she never expected to see. Speaking with Steve Kmetko on the Still Here Hollywood podcast, the former Baywatch star was asked about the wildest interaction she’s ever had with a fan. Erika didn’t hesitate.

“Oh my goodness,” she said. “Seeing people get tattoos of your face is really a trip. Having someone walk up to your table and show you a tattoo of you on their body is definitely mind-blowing.”

Steve then pointed out the irony of the situation, noting that Erika herself has multiple tattoos – suggesting she might be more accustomed to body art than most.

“I would think so,” he said. “But I would think with all the tattoos you have that maybe you could get past that.”

© THA/Shutterstock

Erika agreed – at least now. “Yeah, now I could,” she replied. “Back then, when I was a kid and someone had come up to me and shown me a tattoo of my face on their body, I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ That’s a commitment. That’s really a commitment.”

The actress, who rose to global fame in the early 1990s as one of television’s most recognisable beach icons, reflected on how overwhelming that level of devotion felt at such a young age.

© GC Images

The blonde bombshell made waves as lifeguard Shauni McLain on the popular TV show for three years, and while she’s still in the acting game, she looks very different. Erika, 56, is now covered in tattoos herself. While she still has a striking look, her tanned California skin sports a multitude of ink – including heavily tattooed sleeves and a large tattoo on her back.

© Everett/Shutterstock

“I have a lot of tattoos,” she said, explaining that her tattoo journey started in her twenties. “It’s been a long road,” Erika said, She detailed how “every tattoo that I have is significant of something,” before she showed off the inner part of her arm that it was dedicated to her mom, Iris, who passed away. When asked why she does it, Erika quipped: “I love tattoos. I love that my body is a canvas to tell my stories. It’s fun.”

While celebrity tattoos have since become far more common, Erika suggested that seeing her own likeness permanently inked onto a stranger was a powerful reminder of just how intense Baywatch fandom could be at its peak – and how suddenly fame can take on a life of its own.