At the San Sebastian Festival for Gia Coppola’s “ The Last Showgirl ,” Pamela Anderson talked about her return to the big screen and what is said to be her meatiest role in a long time.
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In Coppola’s Vegas-set drama, Anderson plays Shelley, a veteran showgirl who faces an uncertain future after she’s told that her show will be closing permanently after a 30-year run.
The Canadian star, who became a cultural icon in her red “Baywatch” swimsuit, is enjoying a major career revival. Following the success of her Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary “Pamela, A Love Story” and her best-selling memoir “Love, Pamela,” she’s now revealing a different facet of herself in “The Last Showgirl.”
At the press conference Friday, Anderson and Coppola (“Palo Alto”) fielded questions from a roomful of journalists. Naturally, Anderson was asked about parallels with her life. “I was really drawn to the script and felt a kinship, obviously. And when I read the script, I was overwhelmed, I’d never really been offered a movie part like this, so I was really excited,” she replied.
Coppola also weighed in: “There’s so many parallels to just being a woman and how society confines you and how you navigate being a mother and having a career. And I’ve always wanted to tell a mother daughter story,” she said.
“I’m 57 years old. a lot of my career was about physicality and it’s been a journey, but it’s also been part of the reason why I’ve kind of done this experiment with myself with just, you know, peeling it all back, remembering who I am not being defined by what people do to me, but by what I do. To have passion and not become bitter and not become jaded. Still finding joy in and in the process in life and in this business.” Anderson mused.
Asked about the broken voice she used during the film, and how she developed it, Anderson related how she drew from her personal experience and tried to find ways to really encapsulate an entire life.
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“It’s almost impossible to articulate what I’ve gone through, from Playboy to ‘Baywatch’ to all these different things and trying to navigate it. And I really related to the script and I found even Shelley had a lisp. The voice became the character and it just happened,” she said.
“And we worked really hard and really fast,” she added, referring to the mere 18-day shoot in Vegas where Coppola insisted on shooting on film. “There was no time to overthink it,” Anderson noted.
“Vegas feels so much of a metaphor for the American dream. And that all that glitters is not gold. At what point do you let go of your dreams and just accept the harsh realities of retirement plans, low income wages and that you can’t actually support yourself,” Coppola said.
Both looked back on the tight bond they formed with fellow crew and cast members Jamie Lee Curtis, “Mad Men”’s Kiernan Shipka, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song and Billie Lourd who plays Shelley’s estranged daughter.
“It was a labor of love,” they agreed.
Coppola’s drama indeed offers a fresh perspective on the former Playboy model and tabloid sensation, moving beyond her often-objectified image which was further aggravated by the salacious Hulu mini-series, “Pam & Tommy.” Last year was pivotal for Anderson, with directors like Coppola now seeking her out. She recently signed with CAA, which began representing “The Last Showgirl” at the Toronto International Film Festival where it world premiered.
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