Jeremy Jackson played Mitch Buchannon's son Hobie starting in the show's second season. He was ultimately in 158 episodes of the show — an impressive run for a series infamous for its cast turnover. However, Jackson nearly wasn't cast because producers were interested in another young actor: Leonardo DiCaprio. Casting director Susan Glickman told Esquire they decided to age down the character after seeing DiCaprio, joking, "If he had been two years younger, his whole career would have been ruined. He would've been on 'Baywatch.'"
Jackson got the role, however, and he grew up on the show. He soon began stealing his own money from accounts he wasn't supposed to access. He told Esquire, "We would call a limo, be driven around all weekend, buy drugs, buy prostitutes, buy our way into clubs, and the money would be gone in a week or less." He developed a drug addiction, explaining, "I started snorting a lot, drinking a lot, using. Kind of the classic Hollywood teen-idol story." After "Baywatch" ended, Jackson appeared on "Celebrity Rehab" in an effort to confront his addictions.
In 2015, however, things reached a new, tragic low when Jackson was arrested and sent to jail for stabbing someone while trying to steal her car. Furthermore, it wasn't his first stabbing. While he claimed self-defense for the first one, the second landed him about nine months in jail, according to The Daily Beast. He now lists himself as a "sober coach" on Instagram.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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