Gregory J. Bonann
| Gregory J. Bonann | |
|---|---|
Bonann in 2009
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| Born | June 28, 1952 Santa Monica, California, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Lifeguard, television producer, director, writer, Showrunner |
| Known for | Baywatch, She Spies, SAF3 |
Gregory J. Bonann (born June 28, 1952) is an American lifeguard, television producer, director, writer, and showrunner. He is best known for co-creating the internationally syndicated television series, Baywatch, which ran for eleven seasons (242 episodes), and was listed in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records as the most widely viewed TV series in the world. His later work includes the syndicated action drama, SAF3, and A Chance For Children, a charitable foundation that benefits homeless and at-risk youth.
Bonann was born in Santa Monica, California to Catholic parents Regina (née Caput), a bank teller, and Louis John Bonann, a physician and veteran of World War II. He was raised in West Los Angeles with two sisters, Kathleen and Deborah.
As a child, Bonann suffered from severe asthma and allergies. He was born with club feet and severe visual impairment, and was close to death twice before the age of two.
Bonann attended Palisades High School from 1967 through 1970, and since his allergies ruled out any outdoor sports, he joined the swim team. Contact lenses corrected his vision, but swimming with them proved difficult, so Bonann needed special visual aids to see the walls of the pool. He ultimately specialized in the backstroke so that he could use the overhead flags to better gauge his turns. He was voted most-improved swimmer in his second year, but he didn't win a competitive race until two years later. In his senior year, Bonann was voted most-valuable.
In the fall of 1970, Bonann attended Washington State University as a freshman on a partial athletic scholarship. He was recruited by the U.S. Olympic Committee and trained to compete in the modern pentathlon. Although he didn't qualify for the event, Bonann travelled to Munich for the 1972 Summer Olympics as a non-competitor.
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