Baywatch star Erika Eleniak who starred in Spielberg’s E.T. flashes tattoos on outing, see her now at 56

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Erika Eleniak is an actress who’s played many characters, but she’s perhaps best known for her role as Shauni McClain on Baywatch.

The actress, who is 56 years old, was born in Glendale, California, and started acting professionally when she was young.

At age 12, she played a small part in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 movie, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

After gaining attention, Eleniak appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1989 and went on to star in films like Under Siege (1992) and The Beverly Hillbillies (1993).

Besides her role on Baywatch, the actress also appeared on shows like Full House and CSI: Miami.

See Eleniak now as she enjoyed a rare outing in Los Angeles over the past weekend.

The actress was spotted enjoying a casual walk with her cute dog in the Thousand Oaks area of Los Angeles, showing off her vibrant tattoos on her arm.

She kept it casual wearing a printed shirt as well as gray sweatpants and pink slip-on shoes. 

She wore a simple ponytail under a light pink cap.

You might remember the sweet classroom scene in E.T. where Elliot shares his first kiss? Well, I always find it fascinating to learn about the people behind the movies we love. That girl? She was only 12 years old when she landed that role! It’s amazing to think about how young she was when she became a part of such a classic film.

Eleniak shared a story on the Still Here Hollywood podcast last year about filming this scene.

‘I cried because I didn’t want to kiss Henry Thomas. I was very nervous,’ the star revealed. 

I’ll never forget when Steven Spielberg came to my trailer with my mom. He took the time to chat with me for about ten minutes, and he personally promised me that the set would be kept very private – only a small group of people would be allowed around during filming. It really put me at ease!

Thomas also had similar feelings which he talked about during a past interview with People. 

The actor admitted it was awkward having to kiss his co-star, especially since he had to do it twice! He also confessed he’s not attracted to women, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Eleniak also revealed that Thomas had once been part of a group that disliked girls, and that she was two years older than him when they filmed the movie.

I was the older woman there, and I believe Steven also spoke with him to make sure he was okay. I mostly remember seeing tons of frogs – it was just a really enjoyable time.

The actor remembered being on set for around three days, and then filming was extended by one more day, meaning they weren’t there for a particularly long time.

Seven years after that, she landed the role of Shauni McClain on Baywatch, appearing as the character from 1989 to 1992.

After she left, Pamela Anderson garnered a role in the show. 

The show also featured actors like David Hasselhoff, Alexandra Paul, Gregory Alan Williams, and Nicole Eggert.

She described her former co-stars as being like one big family in an earlier interview with Fox News.

Everyone on set really bonded, and we had a lot of actual lifeguards and paramedics working with us. This was thanks to one of the show’s creators, who was a real-life lifeguard himself.

The actress also shared that a strong sense of camaraderie existed between the lifeguards, and she praised the cast and crew as being truly wonderful.

Eleniak said that by the time she left the show, it had begun to feature content that felt somewhat suggestive or inappropriate.

However, she further expressed she had been more drawn to films at the time. 

It wasn’t really about being uncomfortable, though that wasn’t ideal. The main reason I decided to leave was my passion for filmmaking – I just felt a strong pull towards it.

Eleniak has also appeared in films like She’s So Lovely (1997), Final Voyage (1999), and Betrayal (2003).

She made guest appearances on popular television shows, including Full House, Fantasy Island, CSI: Miami, and Desperate Housewives.

The actress recently reunited with her Baywatch castmate Nicole Eggert back in January. 

The two actors, who used to work together, took a photo at the Los Angeles Fire Museum to pay tribute to firefighters and other first responders on the anniversary of the devastating Los Angeles fires.

Eleniak is also mom to a daughter named Indy – whom she shares with Roch Daigle. 

This outing happened while the new Baywatch movie, featuring Shay Mitchell, Brooks Nader, and Noah Beck, was being filmed, adding to the excitement around the project.

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2026-03-28 17:34