Pamela Anderson recently discussed how the lows in her career impacted her mental health. The 57-year-old actress attended the Zurich Film Festival to receive the Golden Eye Award and promote her new film, “The Last Showgirl.” During her time at the festival, Anderson admitted that she experienced depression following the end of her role in “Baywatch” in the 1990s. “I never imagined I would be on stage, accepting an award like this,” Anderson told Variety in an interview published on Saturday. “I just want to keep working. I am eager to do more,” she continued. “Looking back, it feels like I went from ‘Baywatch’ to Broadway. I don’t remember much of what happened in between; it’s all a blur.” Anderson added, “I am just grateful to be here, in this moment, because I believe I have struggled with depression for several decades.”
The actress rose to fame with her role as C.J. Parker on “Baywatch,” which ran from 1992 to 1997. After the series ended, her career slowed, and she even returned to her native Canada during a difficult period in her life. “A few years ago, I reached a point where I felt like giving up and needed a change,” she told Better Homes & Gardens in August. “I was not in a good place when I moved back to Canada.” “I don’t know what transpired over the last few decades, but I feel so distant from the image of who I used to be,” Anderson also mentioned in the interview. “I felt very sad and lonely.”
However, Anderson experienced a career revival starting with her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” in 2022. She then starred in the 2023 Netflix documentary “Pamela, A Love Story,” directed by Ryan White. As Anderson explained in Zurich, this emotionally charged and inspiring project led to her being cast in Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl.” “Ryan made that documentary, and that’s how Gia saw me,” she told Variety at the film festival. “I always knew I was capable of more.” “Being part of pop culture is great, but it’s a double-edged sword,” the “Home Improvement” star added. “People love you because of a bathing suit. It has taken a long time, but I am here.”
Anderson’s new movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last month. She plays a Las Vegas revue dancer who faces the end of her career and must reassess her life. The Post’s Johnny Oleksinski awarded the film three out of four stars, praising Anderson’s “heartbreaking” performance in her “red-hot second act.” “I don’t think I could have played this character without the life I’ve lived, so it was worth it,” the former “Playboy” model told Variety. “If I can continue working and using these struggles and challenges… I’ll feel blessed,” she added.
