Erika was the original Baywatch blonde bombshell.
Although the image became synonymous with Pamela Anderson, Erika played ditzy Shauni McClain from 1989-2002, the year Anderson was introduced as CJ Parker when the series had a cast revamp.
Erika went on to seek big screen stardom in Under Seige, the year she dropped the red swimsuit.
Baywatch was recently rebooted this year with The Rock and Zac Effron, alongside new bathing beauties Alexandra Daddario and Kelly Rohrbach.
At the height of her fame, Erika, like many other Baywatch stars, made several appearances in Playboy, cheekily gracing the cover wearing her lifeguard uniform in 1990.
What you might not know is that she also had a small but extremely memorable role in ET, making her cinema debut as a young girl in one of the blockbuster’s most iconnic scenes.
Erika played the unnamed classmate who Elliot is secretly in love with.
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When he mysteriously shares ET’s reaction to drinking alcohol and watching a romantic movie, the timid boy is suddenly seized with the bravado to kiss his much taller crush and liberate an army of frogs.
Despite staring in ET and Baywatch, Erika’s big and small screen career has never hit those heights again.
She starred in the Beverley Hillbillies in 1993 and headlined Chasers with Tom Berenger the following year.
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Since then, she only makes occasional acting and public appearances, although she was persuaded to pose with her old Baywatch co-stars to help promote the Baywatch reboot.
Erika reunited on the red carpet with Kelly Packard, Donna D’Errico and Nancy Valen. Sadly there was no slow-motion running.
Despite the lack of swimwear, however, the fabulous four all looked in terrific shape and ready to plunge in and save drowing bathers at the drop of a hat.
Although she was born in California, Erika admitted she was never very happy in Los Angeles and moved to Colorado in 2003 when she met her husband, Roch Daigle.
The couple have one daughter Idyanna.
These days Erika lives out of spotlight. Her Instagram account is captrioned: “Mama to Indyanna, Acting Teacher, Author, Blogger & Spiritual Alchemist.”
UNDER SIEGE IS ON CHANNEL 5 AT 11.25PM TONIGHT
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