Fulop Budavari Reportedly in Talks for Fox's 'Baywatch' Reboot
The vertical drama lead is reportedly being considered for a major role. From Hungarian television host to the red shorts, the crossover is becoming real.
Fulop Budavari could be the next Baywatch lifeguard.
The vertical drama star is reportedly in talks for a major role in Fox’s upcoming reboot of the series. If the casting goes through, it would be one of the most visible crossovers yet from the vertical format into network television.
The path
Budavari’s career runs from hosting prime-time television in Hungary to leading ten vertical dramas in Los Angeles, with a social following above 700,000. A Baywatch role would complete an arc that did not exist as a possibility two years ago: a performer builds an audience in vertical, and a network casts him because of it.
What the association is watching
Reports of talks are not castings, and the association treats them accordingly. What the report shows, regardless of outcome, is that network casting offices are now looking at vertical leads as candidates for franchise roles. That is a change in how the format’s credits are read.
It is also the case for verified records. A casting director considering a vertical performer needs to know what that performer has actually done, confirmed by the productions that shot it. The Verified Talent Registry exists so that the next Budavari’s credits are ready when the call comes.