Brooks Nader is transitioning from a face in magazine covers to a Baywatch star, and this leap caught even her biggest fans — her parents — off guard. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and Love Thy Nader star will make her acting debut as Captain Selene, the sharp-tongued leader of the Zuma Beach lifeguards, in Fox’s upcoming Baywatch reboot. But when she first told her parents the news, they simply could not wrap their heads around it.
Brooks Nader reveals sweet advice her dad gave before her first big Baywatch scene
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the 2026 Fox Upfront in New York City about her Baywatch debut, Brooks Nader revealed that her parents were shocked, as she said, “They were like, ‘You’re acting now?’” She laughed and added, “I’m like, ‘Deal with it.’”
At the event, Nader posed with radio host Ryan Kristafer, her dark outfit a contrast to the famous red swimsuit waiting for her on set. The 29-year-old grew up putting on plays with her three sisters — Mary Holland, Grace Ann, and Sarah Jane — and her father, Breaux Nader, drew on those memories when her first huge scene came to be.
Nader recalled her father telling her to play pretend “like you did with your sisters,” adding, “This is literally you playing pretend with your sisters.” She told PEOPLE that his advice was perfect, stating, “I was like, ‘You’re right. It ain’t that serious.’” Nader also revealed, “That helped me so much.”
The Baywatch reboot is premiering in January 2027, and it puts Brooks Nader alongside Stephen Amell — who plays Hobie Buchannon, son of David Hasselhoff’s original character — Shay Mitchell, Livvy Dunne, and Noah Beck. Her character clashes constantly with Amell’s captain over life-saving tactics. Nader reportedly took swimming lessons to prepare and called slipping into the show’s one-piece for the first time an emotional milestone.
When she saw herself in the Baywatch outfit, she admitted to crying, calling it “a full-circle moment.” Meanwhile, her sisters shared the emotion through a FaceTime call, with Nader saying, “It’s such a big moment, and I’m so honored to be a part of it.”
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