Gena Lee Nolin made her name as an actress in the mid-1990s, when she was cast as lifeguard Neely Capshaw on “Baywatch.” The role saw her donning one of the series’ iconic red swimsuits and joining the regular cast for three seasons between 1995 and 1998, as well as the 2003 TV movie, “Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.” After concluding her time on the TV series, Nolin moved from “Baywatch” to something more supernatural. At the turn of the millennium,she went on to lead a TV comic book adaptation, taking on the role of a lesser-known superhero.
“Sheena” aired in syndication from 2000 to 2002. The series is now available to stream for free on Tubi, where viewers can find both seasons of the short-lived superhero show. Nolin starred as Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, a Tarzan-like jungle heroine. Orphaned in the jungle when her archaeologist parents died, the series’ version of Sheena was taken in by a shamaness who taught her the power to shapeshift. This superpower was a new addition to the character for the TV series — Sheena could transform into any animal with which she made direct eye contact. She could also turn into a mythical beast called the Darak’na, a fear-inspiring killer creature with claws and a shadowy appearance.
The series partnered Nolin’s Sheena with John Allen Nelson’s Matt Cutter. Cutter had a colorful career history, as a football player turned CIA mercenary turned safari business owner. He became Sheena’s ally in protecting the jungle.
The history of Sheena, Queen of the Jungle
Sheena first appeared long before Gena Lee Nolin of “Baywatch” took on the rolein theforgotten superhero TV series. The character debuted in 1938 in the British comic magazine “Wags” before coming to the US in “Jumbo Comics” #1. The eventual spin-off comic series, “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle,” debuted in 1941 and made Sheena the first-ever female comic book character to have a comic titled after her, beating Wonder Woman to this honor by several months.
Though in the comics she lacked the shapeshifting powers of Nolin’s Sheena, she did possess the power to communicate with animals and was a proficient fighter. As well as her powers, Sheena’s origins, real name, and even her vocabulary have changed over the course of her history across various comics and live-action adaptations. Almost half a century before Nolin became Sheena, Irish McCalla played the character in the TV series “Sheena: Queen of the Jungle,” speaking in clipped Tarzan-style dialogue. Subsequent adaptations, including Nolin’s series, made Sheena more accessible for contemporary American audiences, having her speak perfect English in an American accent, despite being raised in an African jungle.
The frequent changes to Sheena’s backstory across different iterations of the character meant there was no one definitive origin for the 2000s series to follow. The series gave her the birth name of Shirley Hamilton, made her more educated than previous incarnations, and introduced her maybe-friend, maybe-love-interest, Matt Cutter, bringing Sheena into the 21st century.
