In the end, Pamela Anderson’s career turned out better.
The actress and model is accepting the praise for her performance and finds comfort in being seen from a different angle.
Speaking about her lack of involvement in Hulu’s 2022 drama series Pam & Tommy, the 56-year-old actress recently spoke on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live to promote her new movie, The Last Showgirl.
Her turbulent relationship with her ex-husband Tommy Lee and the 1995 sex tape controversy were depicted in the program, which was produced without her knowledge.
“I had nothing to do with it. “It was really odd that no one called me, and that was painful,” Anderson disclosed.
She was disappointed and added, “I think ethically it’s illegal,” in response to presenter Andy Cohen’s questioning of Hulu’s choice to make a series based on her life without getting her permission.
“You’re kind of fair game,” Anderson said, recalling the brutal truth she had to deal with early in her career. People used to tell me, long ago, that you have no right to privacy and are essentially public property.
Anderson revealed that despite her objections, Hulu management had not contacted her, even after she called the Pam & Tommy creators “a*sholes” in a January 2023 interview with Variety and called for a public apology.
“People were nominated for Emmys and all sorts of stuff, and that’s why I was laughing with someone the other day,” Anderson said in reference to the absurdity of the honors the series received. “You know, all these people have won awards basically playing you, but not you,” [Deadline journalist Pete Hammond] told me.
Sebastian Stan played Mötley Crüe drummer Lee, while Lily James played Anderson in Pam & Tommy. At the 2022 Emmys, the series got nine nominations, including one for Stan and James, and won an Emmy for makeup.
With nominations for the 2024 Gotham Awards, the 2025 Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Anderson is now receiving recognition in her own right.
