Gena Lee Nolin, the alter ego of the controversial Neely Capshaw in 'Baywatch'

From the hardware store to prime time

Before running in slow motion on the beaches of Los Angeles, Gena Lee Nolin was selling tools in a store in Arizona. Television seemed as distant as an Oscar for Pamela Anderson.

Miss Vegas, but with a schedule

Her beauty led her to modeling contests, winning Miss Las Vegas. It wasn't just the smile; she had the look of someone who knew that beauty can be either a weapon or a curse.

The jump to 'The Price is Right'

She was one of the models handing out blenders with a robotic smile. But Gena Lee Nolin wanted to talk, not just point. The role of 'decorative woman' wouldn't last long.

The landing on 'Baywatch'

The world's most-watched series adopted her as Neely Capshaw, a villainess in a red bikini who generated more hatred than sunscreen in the eyes. And the producers loved it.

Neely: The anti-Pamela

Capshaw was the antithesis of the virginal CJ Parker. She was manipulative, ambitious, and not at all innocent. While others swam, she threw darts with her eyes. And she became addictive.

Controversies on and off the set

Gena Lee Nolin didn't just clash with her character. She had confrontations with the production, which wanted more skin and less script. When she asked for respect, they showed her the door. Or wrote her a drug addiction plot to 'punish' her.

A resignation with cleavage and scandal

In 1998, she left 'Baywatch' amid rumors of harassment, censorship, and manipulative contracts. She said she was treated like a body, not like an actress. Some producers found out about her departure through the press.

The battle for her health: Hypothyroidism

For years she suffered from fatigue, depression, and weight gain. She was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. She turned it into her banner and published a book to raise awareness about a silent and less photogenic disease.

The 'Playboy' she was and the one she chose not to be

She posed in minimal outfits but declined offers from 'Playboy' for years. Until, in 2001, she accepted. She made the cover. She said it was for control, not for fame. The narrative of the empowered without clothes.

Reality shows and second chances

She participated in reality shows and returned to television, but with a different tone. More suburban mom than Californian siren. She doesn't renounce her past, but she doesn't bask in it either.

Motherhood

She had three children, a quieter marriage, and fewer flashes. Her Instagram looks more Whole Foods than the red carpet. But she never forgets that she once was the most hated woman on the beach.