Pamela Anderson, 55, is best known for her iconic role of C.J. Parker in the equally iconic Baywatch television show and franchise films, but her time on the show is a touchy subject for her to this day. Despite being one of the most sought-after actresses of the ’90s and early 2000s, Pamela felt underappreciated and undervalued for what she brought to the franchise — especially when she was asked to appear in the 2017 Baywatch movie for free. “They said they wanted me to do it as a favor. I said, ‘I do favors for animals, not for Paramount,’” she recalled to Variety in a profile published on Jan. 26.
“There was just so much bullying to do it,” she continued after saying the film’s producers constantly called her. Despite describing the ordeal as “really, really awful,” she eventually agreed to do a cameo without any dialogue. “I ended up OK. No complaints,” she said.
Pamela also recalled being paid unfairly for her role in the ’90s. “The producers of Baywatch made a fortune. I just didn’t have the representation back then. Or the know-how. You don’t realize when you’re doing a TV show that it’s going to be that popular, so you kind of sign your life away,” she said. Pamela made $1,500 per episode during the first season of Baywatch, which debuted in 1992, but was making $300,000 an episode by the time the show ended in 1997, according to Variety. However, the publication mentioned that she never saw a dime from the Barbie doll that was made based on her likeness — nor anything from Amazon Prime’s deal to stream the show in 2019.
Pamela also felt used by the 2022 Hulu mini-series, Pam & Tommy, which was based on the events leading up to and surrounding the release of her stolen 1996 sex tape with her husband at the time, Mötley Crüe drummer, Tommy Lee. In the sit-down, she called the producers and general creative team behind the show “a*******” to get her point across. Some of the producers behind the show include Seth Rogen, who played the man who stole and sold the tape, Dave Franco, and Seth’s frequent collaborator, Evan Goldberg. However, she said she has nothing against Lily James, who played her in the show.
“I think it’s hard to play somebody when you don’t know the whole picture. I’ve got nothing against Lily James,” Pamela said. “I think that she’s a beautiful girl and she was just doing the job. But the idea of the whole thing happening was just really crushing for me.”
Lily, 33, did attempt to reach out to Pamela before she began filming, but the former Playboy model refused to answer. “It was already hurtful enough the first time [the tape made headlines]. It’s like one of those things where you’re going, ‘Really? People are still capitalizing off that thing?’” she explained to New York Times journalist Jessica Bennett earlier this year.
Pamela did, however, extend an olive branch to Lily by asking Netflix to invite her to the premiere of her upcoming documentary, Pamela, A Love Story. She feels no need to make good with the producers of the show, though. “Salt on the wound. … You still owe me a public apology,” she told Variety.
Pamela will share her truth with the world in the above-mentioned documentary, which debuts on Jan. 31. Her memoir, Love, Pamela, will be released on the same day.