80s TV icon David Hasselhoff has recently debunked one of the most persistent tales about his heyday – denying any responsibility for the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The former Knight Rider and Baywatch star has long been credited with helping to bring down the Cold War symbol with his song, Looking for Freedom but in an interview with the German Press Agency he described the claim as a “lie” which he said “pisses me off”.
The claim is based on pictures of ‘The Hoff’ astride the Brandenburg Gate during a performance of his cheesy but ridiculously successful pop hit, Looking for Freedom.
But the pictures were taken after the border crossings between East and West Germany had already been permanently opened.
“I sang a song about freedom, and it just happened to be number one when the wall came down,” Hasselhoff told the agency.
While Looking for Freedom may not have brought down the wall, the song and an album of the same name did bring Hasselhoff considerable success, the song took the number 1 spot in Germany while the album went triple platinum in Europe.
The actor is set to return to Germany and Austria in April with his 30 Years Looking for Freedom music tour which will see him play 19 dates across the two countries.
Hasselhoff’s refusal to take himself too seriously has helped him enjoy success beyond his TV heyday.
While various attempts to revive Knight Rider failed – the show eventually returned in 2008 but Hasselhoff’s involvement was limited to a ‘passing the baton’ scene in which he meets his long estranged son, the show’s new hero – the actor has remained a TV regular.
Long before the Samuel L Jackson’s big screen version become loved by fans worldwide, he played Nick Fury in the 1998 TV movie, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D and later went on to enjoy success as a judge on both America’s Got Talent and the UK version, Britain’s Got Talent, in between which he appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars – the US version of Strictly Come Dancing.
He also had his own UK comedy series, Hoff the Record which aired for two seasons on Dave.
The series saw the actor play a fictionalised version of himself whose career had flopped, forcing him to come to the UK where his inept British agent struggled to find him work. Referencing the Hoff’s popularity in Germany, the show also featured his fictional long-lost and half-German son, Dieter.
One episode saw the down on his luck actor performing Looking for Freedom at a dictator’s private birthday party before having to flee in a replica of Knight Rider’s KITT.
His most recent TV work was a guest appearance in The Grand Tour in which he was one of the first contestants to take part in the ‘Celebrity Face Off’ racing segment.
Away from TV and film, fans can play Hoff inspired slots online and catch his regular panto appearances in which he regularly plays Captain Hook. He can also be heard in several console and PC games, including Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
30 Years Looking for Freedom tour kicks off on April 11th in Berlin. Visit eventim.de for tickets and booking details.