Pamela Anderson Says Being Nominated for Awards Is the "Best Payback" for 'Pam & Tommy' Series

We've been in the midst of a Pamaissance over the past couple of years from her documentary and book to her return to the screen. Pamela Anderson has received high praise and several awards season nods for her role as Shelly in The Last Showgirl—she's already received nominations at the Gotham Awards, Golden Globes, and the upcoming SAG awards. And while Anderson didn't find all of the attention to be complimentary—she was "hurt" and blindsided by Hulu's drama series about her relationship with Tommy Lee and the scandal involving their sex tape, Pam & Tommy—her recent slew of accolades has been the "best payback."

"I don't dwell on it, but it was kind of a strange thing to pick a very terrible time in my life and make entertainment. People were nominated for Emmys and all sorts of stuff, and that's why I was laughing with someone the other day," she said of the miniseries during an appearance on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live. Both Lily James and Sebastian Stan were nominated for their portrayals. "[Deadline journalist Pete Hammond] was telling me, you know, all these people have won awards basically playing you, but not you."

Anderson went on to say that she was never even asked to be involved in the project. "I didn't have any involvement. No one called me, which was so strange, and that was hurtful," she continued. "I think ethically it's illegal. But you're kind of fair game. I remember people telling me that a long time ago, that you are basically public property and you have no right to privacy. I remember that."

Now, Anderson is being recognized for her work in The Last Showgirl, which is out in theaters now. "It's not the actors' fault. I mean, I'm sure [James is] a great actress and stuff, and I don't care," she continued. "I mean, it's just one of those things. It happened and now I'm here, and so this is the best payback. I'm being seen and recognized for my work and not these tawdry moments."

In the past, Anderson has been candid about how the show brought up past feelings and re-opened the wound of the exploitation of her and the Mötley Crüe drummer's sex tape. “It hit me a lot harder than I even imagined because it made me so nauseous to even think about it again when it came out, this Hulu thing,” she said in a 2024 interview with Glamour. “It really felt like another kick in the stomach that people might find that entertaining. And that was…I think I lost my husband, my sanity, my career.”

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