David Hasselhoff might be my guru. And I don’t mean that in a cultish, fangirl way. The Hoff can drop some serious knowledge on you about going with the flow. In the upcoming issue of Hello, Hasselhoff talks about all the changes he’s made in his life since his divorce, and how he’s managed to embrace and appreciate things for what they are. He’s also worth some serious cash.

Smart is the man who knows his own limitations. “I’m not the best singer in the world,” announces David Hasselhoff. “And I’m not the best actor. But I do know how to entertain.” You can say that again.

Smart, too, is the man who has learned how to laugh at himself. In Australia four years ago to promote his autobiography, Making Waves, he was astonished to discover he’d become something of a cult. “There were all these people waiting for autographs. They were all dressed like me and they were all chanting, ‘We want the Hoff!’ Truly bizarre.”

The nickname came about by accident. The rap singer Ice-T had been asked in an interview whether anyone could be taught how to rap. Yes, he said. “What, even David Hasselhoff?” asked the interviewer [Conan O’Brien] disparagingly. “Sure,” replied Ice-T, “and his name would be Hassel the Hoff!”

The man himself chuckles at the memory. “I had a choice as the name took hold: either I ignored it or I embraced it.” On the principle that it’s better to be affectionately teased than not talked about at all Hasselhoff latched on to his nickname with characteristic enthusiasm, even going so far as to have T-shirts printed with “Don’t Hassel the Hoff” emblazoned across the front.

[From Hello Magazine; Sept. 2 2008; print ed.]

I really like his philosophy, and it sounds like he made the best out of a situation that could have annoyed a lot of people. Instead The Hoff embraced it with gusto, and in a lot of ways it revitalized his career – making him relevant (if kitsch) again. He also seems to be appreciative of what he has and realizes how to work with his talents. He’s right, it’s not like you’d ever say, “Oh that David Hasselhoff, what an actor.” But you’d probably have ten other things to say about the guy in any given conversation, and that’s because he’s a good entertainer and he’s good at rolling with whatever publicity he’s been given.

According to Hello Hasselhoff is worth about $100 million – nothing to sneeze at. He’s also got a gorgeous mansion in Bel Air that’s surprisingly graceful and completely lacking in much of the cheesy Hoff-esq paraphernalia I’d expected. A few things were visible in Hello’s pictures, but nothing over-the-top like I’d expected. Hasselhoff says he’s still healing from his divorce to ex-wife Pamela Bach, who he was married to for 16 years. But he said he’d like to get married again – and considering his positive attitude and nice pad, something tells me he’ll be able to find someone.

Here’s David Hasselhoff and daughters Haley and Taylor Ann in Paris on July 7th. Images thanks to Fame.