Pamela Anderson is grateful to earn recognition for her acting work and being seen in a new light.
When the star, 56, appeared on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live to promote her new movie The Last Showgirl, she said during the interview that she “didn’t know anything about” Hulu’s 2022 drama series Pam & Tommy until after it was filmed. The show dramatized her relationship with ex-husband Tommy Lee and their 1995 scandal surrounding a stolen homemade sex tape.
“I didn’t have any involvement. No one called me, which was so strange, and that was hurtful,” she said. “I think ethically it’s illegal,” she added, when Andy Cohen wondered aloud whether Hulu was in the wrong for making a series based on Anderson’s life.
“But you’re kind of fair game. I remember people telling me that a long time ago, that you are basically public property and you have no right to privacy. I remember that,” she added.
When Cohen asked if Hulu executives ever reached out to her — Anderson described those behind Pam & Tommy as “assholes” in a January 2023 Variety interview and said at the time she wanted a public apology — to “make this right” for Anderson, the actress said, “No. They haven’t.”
Hulu; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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“I don’t know. I don’t really want to— I don’t dwell on it, but it was kind of a strange thing to pick a very terrible time in my life and make entertainment. People were nominated for Emmys and all sorts of stuff, and that’s why I was laughing with someone the other day,” she added. “[Deadline journalist Pete Hammond] was telling me, you know, all these people have won awards basically playing you, but not you.”
Pam & Tommy starred Lily James as Anderson, while Sebastian Stan portrayed Mötley Crüe drummer Lee, now 62. The series won an Emmy for its makeup work and was nominated in nine other categories at the 2022 Emmys, including nods for Stan, 42, and James, 35.
Now, more than two years later, Anderson is nominated at the Screen Actors Guild Awards; she also received nominations at the 2024 Gotham Awards and the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, which were held Jan. 5.
“It’s not the actors’ fault. I mean, I’m sure [James is] a great actress and stuff, and I don’t care,” Anderson added, after Cohen and his co-hosts told her they never watched the series. “I mean, it’s just one of those things. It happened and now I’m here, and so this is the best payback. I’m being seen and recognized for my work and not these tawdry moments.”
Roadside Attractions / Courtesy Everett
Anderson learned of Pam & Tommy‘s existence in footage from her 2023 Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story. Her two sons with Lee, Brandon, 28, and Dylan, 27, break the news about the series to their mother oncamera in the documentary. In the film, she said the series’ existence “really gives me nightmares” and said she “never watched” the 1995 sex tape at the center of the scandal.
Actress James said in January 2022 that she reached out to Anderson before filming Pam & Tommy but did not receive a response. Anderson told The New York Times that same month that she decided to never open the letter in question.
The Last Showgirl is in theaters now.
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