Leonardo DiCaprio auditioned for Baywatch

He may now be a world-famous actor, but Leonardo DiCaprio’s career didn’t start out quite as he’d hoped.

The 37-year-old star initially tried out for the role of Mitch Buchannon’s son Hobie in ‘Baywatch’, but lost out to Jeremy Jackson, 31, who appeared in the cult show between 1991 and 1999.

However, David Hasselhoff, 59, who played Mitch, thinks ‘Baywatch’ bosses did Leonardo a favour by not giving him the part because it allowed him to go on to bigger and better things.

“Yeah, it was true!" Hasselhoff told Movieline of rumours the Hollywood star lost out on the role in the 90s. "I saw Leonardo DiCaprio and I said, 'You know what, that was the best thing that ever happened to you!

“You would have never gotten ‘Titanic’ and have been this big star. You'd be like Jeremy Jackson and David Hasselhoff, looking for work'. Ha!"

Since losing out on the ‘Baywatch’ role, Leonardo has gone on to star in the likes of ‘Titanic’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Gangs of New York’, ‘Inception’ and ‘The Aviator’, for which he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in 2004.

He has previously dated supermodels Gisele Bundchen, 31, and Bar Refaeli, 26, and ‘Gossip Girl’ actress Blake Lively, 24, and is now believed to be in a relationship with model Erin Heatherton, 23.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Jackson went on to suffer from a severe drug problem during his time on ‘Baywatch’, which ultimately made him quit the show.

“It started with pot and cigarettes and drinking here and there, just like most kids do. But it eventually got to hard drugs like crystal meth and that definitely brought me to my knees,” he told ‘Access Hollywood’.

BY LOUISE SAUNDERS / STARLOUNGE