When Pam & Tommy was released last year, Pamela Anderson was put in the position of having revisit one of the most traumatizing experiences of her life. But Anderson refused to cooperate with the production, even dodging a letter sent by her portrayer, Lily James.
In a recent New York Times profile, Pamela Anderson explained, “It was already hurtful enough the first time…It’s like one of those things where you’re going, ‘Really?’ People are still capitalizing off that thing?” Reportedly, the letter from Lily James–which remains unopened in Anderson’s inbox–said she wanted to “honor” Anderson in Pam & Tommy/
Pam & Tommy co-showrunner D.V. DeVincentis (who also wrote some of the episodes) also says he reached out to try to let Anderson know the series wouldn’t aim to put her in a negative light, something she has been all too familiar with. “We particularly wanted to let Pamela Anderson know that this portrayal was very much a positive thing and that we cared a great deal about her and wanted her to know that the show loves her…We didn’t get a response, but considering what she’s been through and the time that we were reaching out, that was understandable.”
With renewed interest in Pamela Anderson as a public figure and her and Tommy Lee’s sex tape as a curiosity, the actress and model is now trying to gain the control she wasn’t permitted back in the late ‘90s when the sex tape became available on the public market. In the trailer for the upcoming Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story–which looks at the life, career and public scrutiny of Pamela Anderson–she is heard saying, “I blocked that stolen tape out of my life in order to survive. And now that it’s all coming up again, I feel sick. I want to take control of the narrative for the first time.” Pamela, A Love Story comes to Netflix on January 31st.
Lily James earned widespread acclaim for her turn as Pamela Anderson, earning Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
What did you think of Lily James’ performance as Pamela Anderson? Did it capture the essence of Anderson at the time? Or did it feel exploitative? Let us know your take below!