Pamela Anderson recently watched “Barb Wire” for the very first time.
The B.C.-born actor says her son had asked if she’d ever seen the 1996 dystopian action flick — her first starring role in a movie that was a box-office and critical flop.
“I said, ‘No, I’ve actually never seen it.’ So I did and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It was stuck in French with English subtitles. I said, ‘That’s a good way to watch it.’ I could see it, but I couldn’t really hear me,” she laughs.
Anderson now sees the big-screen bust as a reminder of how much life can change.
“I was 27 years old when I did that film, and 27 years later, I did ‘The Last Showgirl.’ So a lot of time can pass and you just never know what’s going to happen,” says Anderson, now 57.
“It’s never too late to just start over or pick up where you left off. It’s really a fascinating life.”
Rocking pink-rimmed glasses on a Zoom call from her home in Ladysmith, B.C., Anderson is all smiles, her laughter bubbling through the screen. She’s got a rosy outlook on the road ahead, with her new Flavour Network show, “Pamela’s Cooking With Love,” premiering Monday, and a slate of films on the horizon.
Anderson says she’s been working with an acting coach and chasing the types of projects she’s always dreamed of.
“I knew I had more to give. I didn’t know if I’d ever get the opportunity because sometimes it’s a blessing and a curse to be part of pop culture. It’s a blessing, but… you start at a deficit. You’ve got to convince people you’re human.”
Anderson shot to fame in the late ’80s as a Playboy pin-up before becoming a ’90s TV icon on “Baywatch.” But a rocky acting career and relentless tabloid scrutiny over her relationship with Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee led her to step away from the spotlight and focus on animal rights activism.
After experiencing a career renaissance last year with her Golden Globes-nominated role in “The Last Showgirl,” Anderson has been booked and busy. She has upcoming roles in the “Naked Gun” reboot and drama thriller “Rosebush Pruning,” as well as “four projects percolating” that include “things people would not expect, which is exciting and scary at the same time.”
“I hope people don’t get sick of me, that’s all. There’s a lot going on,” she laughs.
“But I am a hard worker and I think that’s my Canadian roots showing.”
Anderson’s cooking show sees her invite high-profile chefs including Andy Baraghani and Gregory Gourdet to her Ladysmith home, where they prepare plant-based meals for friends and family.
“I’ve always wanted to do a plant-based cooking show, but I was a little bit ahead of my time — a couple decades ago, people just thought I was crazy,” she says.
“But people always think I’m a little crazy. I’m always breaking new ground. You’ve got to be a rebel.”
It’s her second show produced by Corus Entertainment after Home Network’s “Pamela’s Garden of Eden,” which follows her as she renovates her Vancouver Island property that had belonged to her grandparents.
Anderson says she left L.A. and moved to the remote area during the pandemic in order to reconnect with her roots and live a quieter life.
She says “The Last Showgirl” offer “came out of nowhere.” Director Gia Coppola specifically had Anderson in mind for the role about a veteran Las Vegas dancer searching for her next chapter after her long-running show suddenly closes.
Anderson says she plans to continue living in Ladysmith and tending to her garden, as it’s “a great grounding force” for her. However, since starring in Coppola’s film, she’s been grinding “non-stop.”
“I’m a little antsy because I’ve been working so hard lately. I’m trying to relax a little bit right now. I kind of am running in circles, like, what’s next? What am I going to do?”
She’ll take a comedic turn in “The Naked Gun.” Helmed by The Lonely Island member Akiva Schaffer, the film also stars Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. — the son of Leslie Nielsen’s bumbling detective from the original late-‘80s series.
“It was so funny. Liam is so funny, and we fell madly in love. We were just having the best time and it was incredible. It was hard to keep a straight face,” she says.
Anderson will then step back into drama with Karim Aïnouz’s “Rosebush Pruning,” which she describes as “another art house film festival movie.” Starring Riley Keough, Callum Turner and Elle Fanning, the film is an adaptation of Marco Bellocchio’s 1965 debut “Fists in the Pocket,” about a young man with epilepsy who plans to murder his dysfunctional family.
She says the biggest draw for her was Aïnouz, a Brazilian director who also helmed the 2019 drama “The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão.”
“I love his films and I love his way of shooting.”
Anderson says stepping back into the spotlight has come with its challenges, especially when being interviewed by tabloid-leaning media outlets.
“They’re still not ready to see me in this dramatic role. They’re kind of stuck in the ’90s and I feel like I have to start from scratch explaining myself,” she says.
But in the end, she’s happy to have a packed calendar again.
“I don’t want to ever take anything for granted because it’s so healing to work really hard. It’s the best kind of therapy,” she says.
“I always say you can talk to your best friend all day long or go to therapy, but making an art project is a really healing experience. You find out what you’re made of and what you need to address. It really is wild. Life-changing.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.
