Pamela Anderson says she wouldn’t ‘change one thing’ about her life

The former ‘Baywatch’ star is attracting awards buzz for her role in Gia Coppola’s ‘The Last Showgirl’

Pamela Anderson has reflected on her life and career, saying: “I wouldn’t change one thing about my life or I wouldn’t be here.”

The former Baywatch star, 57, is attracting critical acclaim and awards buzz for her role in Gia Coppola’s upcoming The Last Showgirl.

The film stars Anderson as Shelly, a veteran Las Vegas dancer on the verge of retirement.

Pamela Anderson has attracted critical acclaim for her latest role (AFP via Getty Images)

Anderson told Deadline that she drew on her own life and experiences for the role, saying: “I’ve danced between shame and beating myself up about so many things or wondering what life would’ve been if I didn’t experience the things I did, even as a child, there’s so much.”

She continued: “It’s so wonderful that this film is not exploitive. It’s not about violence or overt sexuality. It’s such a touching story and on so many different generations.

“And I find that because again, I’ve been sexualized and objectified in my life and career, but I don’t want to be defined by what has been done to me. I want to be defined by what I do. And I feel like I do mentor a lot of women in this industry who have gone down a path that is a scary kind of path.

“And I’ve helped a lot of women, and I have nieces and my sons have girlfriends, and I wonder in this culture, what’s enough? What does it take to entertain somebody? And I’ve always felt like I’ve had this veil or wall, and I feel like to protect me.”

She added: “I feel like Ms. Magoo. Actually, I’ve been really lucky in my Playboy experience, also in being a lifeguard on the beach, whatever people thought of that, even it was very innocent. Baywatch was wholesome, I think.

“And then the things that happened to me were really hard on me when my personal life was exploited, and it really was hard on me for a couple of decades. It took me a long time to, or I don’t think you ever really get over it.”

Anderson rose to fame in Baywatch (Baywatch)

In 2023, Anderson spoke out against the team behind Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, saying she felt they owed her “a public apology”.

The previous year the streamer had released its dark comedy mini-series about the leaking of Anderson and then-husband Tommy Lee’s sex tape.

While promoting her Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story, Anderson explained why she refused to watch the show.

“It was shocking,” she said. “Tommy probably thought it was funny. I remember Tommy writing me a note saying, ‘Don’t let this hurt you like it did the first time,’ because he had heard through the kids that I was kind of struggling with the idea of bringing this all up again.

“I don’t think he was portrayed kindly. I just know that I refuse to watch it.”

Anderson described the series as a “salt on the wound” and called the people behind it “a**holes”.

The Last Showgirl will open in select US cinemas on December 13, 2024. It is expected to receive a wider release in the US on January 10, 2025 and in the UK on February 28, 2025.