Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967)[2][3][4] is a Canadian-American actress, model and media personality. She came to public prominence after being selected as the February 1990Playboy Playmate of the Month following her appearance on the cover of the magazine's October 1989 issue. She went on to make regular appearances on the magazine's cover, holding the record for the mostPlayboy covers by any individual.[5] Anderson became known to a wider audience with her role on theABC sitcomHome Improvement (1991–1993), before gaining international recognition for her starring role as"C.J." Parker on the action drama seriesBaywatch (1992–1997), which further cemented her status as asex symbol.[6] In 1995, home videos of Anderson with her then-husband,Tommy Lee, were stolen, spliced together,[7] and sold as asex tape, which resulted in a legal fight and made her the subject of controversy.[8]
Anderson was born inLadysmith, British Columbia, Canada, the daughter of Barry W. Anderson, a furnace repairman, and Carol (née Cawthorpe), a waitress. Her great-grandfather,Juho Hyytiäinen, was a Finnish native ofSaarijärvi, and left theGrand Duchy of Finland for Canada in 1908.[10] He changed his surname to Anderson when he arrived as an immigrant. Pamela's grandfather Herman Anderson, who was a logger and a poet—who believed in folklore, fairies, and trees that whispered secrets to each other—taught her to speakFinnish.[11][12] Anderson also hasVolga German ancestry on her mother's side; her grandmother, Rose Friesen,ethnically German, was born in Russia in aMennonite village and immigrated to Canada in 1901.[13][14][15] Anderson received press coverage right after her birth as a "Centennial Baby", having been born on July 1, 1967, the100th anniversary of Canada's official founding via theConstitution Act, 1867.[16][17] She has a younger brother, Gerry (born 1971), an actor and producer who worked in some of her films and television shows.
In 2014, Anderson discussed suffering sexual abuse as a child. She mentioned being molested by a female babysitter from ages 6 to 10, raped by a 25-year-old man when she was age 12, andgang-raped by her boyfriend and six of his friends when she was 14.[21]
Anderson became avegetarian in her early teens after her father went hunting and brought home a "bloodied deer."[22] She eventually transitioned to avegan diet in her twenties,[23] and promotes the benefits of aplant-based diet.[24][25]
1980s and 1990s: Modelling and acting breakthrough
In 1988, Anderson moved toVancouver and worked as a fitness instructor.[20] The next year, she attended aBC LionsCanadian Football League game at theBC Place Stadium in Vancouver,[26] where she was featured on thejumbotron while wearing aLabatt's Beer T-shirt.[26] The brewing company hired Anderson briefly as a spokesmodel.[26] Inspired by the event, her then-boyfriend Dan Ilicic produced a poster of her image, entitled theBlue Zone Girl.[27]
Anderson was flown toLos Angeles for a photo shoot; she appeared as thecover girl onPlayboy magazine's October 1989 issue. She subsequently moved to the United States, settling in LA to further pursue a modelling career.Playboy subsequently chose her asPlaymate of the Month in their February 1990 issue, in which she appeared in thecentrefold portrait. Anderson then elected to havebreast implant surgery, increasing her bust size to 34D. She increased her bust size again, to 34DD, several years later.[28] HerPlayboy career spans 22 years, and she has appeared on morePlayboy covers than any other model.[29] She has also made numerous appearances in the publication's newsstand specials. Anderson wrote the foreword to thePlayboy coffee table bookPlayboy's Greatest Covers. After Anderson moved to Los Angeles, she won a minor role as Lisa, the original "Tool Time Girl", on the ABC comedy seriesHome Improvement.
Her breakthrough role was asC.J. Parker onBaywatch, which she played for five seasons between 1992 and 1997, making her one of the longest-serving cast members. The series has gained her popularity from international viewers and the character of Parker became one of her best-known roles, having been reenacted by multiple high-profile people since. Anderson was paid US$1,500 per episode during the first season. She reprised her role in a reunion movie,Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003), and also appeared in commercials forDirecTV in 2007. Anderson was still modelling forOutdoor Life and appearing on the cover of the magazine each year. In 1993, Anderson appeared in a music video "Can't Have Your Cake" byVince Neil to promote his first solo album,Exposed.[30]
In 1994, she was cast in her first starring film role, inRaw Justice, also known asGood Cop, Bad Cop, co-starring withStacy Keach,David Keith, andRobert Hays. Under the alternate title, the film won the Bronze Award at the Worldfest-Charleston in the category for dramatic theatrical films.[31] In 1996, she played Barbara Rose Kopetski in the filmBarb Wire. The movie, a thinly veiled futuristic remake ofCasablanca, was not a commercial success. During filming, she hadbarbed wire tattooed on her left upper arm instead of having it painted on by make-up artists every day, but she had it removed in 2016.[32] In April 1997, she guest-hostedSaturday Night Live. She appeared on one of two covers for the September issue ofPlayboy.[33] In September 1998, Anderson starred as Vallery Irons in theSony Pictures Television syndicated action/comedy-drama seriesV.I.P. created byJ. F. Lawton.[34] The series had a successful four-year run.[35] In 1999, she appeared as a man-eating giantess in the music video for "Miserable" by California alternative rock bandLit. She appeared onThe Nanny as Fran Fine's rival, Heather Biblow.[28]
2000s: Rise to media prominence
Sam Newman House featuring a large image of Anderson's face, 2006
Sam Newman House, apop architecture building constructed in 2001 inSt Kilda, Victoria, Australia, has a large image of Anderson's face. Sam Newman commissioned local architectCassandra Fahey to design the building, and used the image with Anderson's permission. Permits were issued retroactively when it became a major local landmark and won the award for Best New Residential Building in the RAIAVictorian Architecture Awards.[36] Later that year, Anderson played herself in theMiller Lite TV commercial "Pillow Fight", the sequel to the brand's earlier commercial "Catfight", with models Tanya Ballinger and Kitana Baker reprising their roles.[37]
In May 2004, Anderson appeared nude on the cover ofPlayboy magazine. Later, she posed naked forStuff andGQ magazines. Anderson was also featured on the cover of the fashion magazinesW, BritishMarie Claire,Flare, andElle Canada and in editorials for RussianElle andV.[38]
In 2004, she released the bookStar, co-written byEric Shaw Quinn, about a teenager trying to become famous. After this, she began touring the United States, signing autographs for fans nationwide. Her second book,Star Struck, released in 2005, is a thinly veiled look at her life with Tommy Lee and the trials of celebrity life. In 2005, Anderson starred in a newFox comedy seriesStacked as Skyler Dayton, a party girl who works at a book store. It was cancelled on May 18, 2006, after two seasons. On August 14, 2005,Comedy Central aired theRoast of Pamela Anderson.
In December 2005,NBC cut a video of Andersonpole dancing toElton John's "The Red Piano", saying that the footage was inappropriate for prime time. The video was shown on huge screens during the event, while John played "The Bitch is Back".
Anderson performed on February 13–14, 2008, in a Valentine's Day strip-tease act at theCrazy Horse cabaret inParis.[41] Anderson then starred in the reality seriesPam: Girl on the Loose.
In 2010, she appeared in the short filmThe Commuter directed by theMcHenry Brothers and shot entirely on theNokia N8 smartphone as promotion for the phone in the UK.[45][46] Anderson was featured in a beach-themed editorial, shot byMario Testino for BrazilianVogue's June 2013 "Body Issue".[47]
In November 2010, Anderson appeared onseason 4 ofBigg Boss, the Indian version of theBig Brother television franchise. She stayed as a guest in the house for three days for a reported sum ofRs. 2.5crores (approx US$550,000).[48] Furthering her involvement in the franchise, Anderson took part in the12th season ofBig Brother in the United Kingdom in 2011.[49] In 2012, she appeared as a Special Houseguest on the fourth season ofVIP Brother, the celebrity spin-off ofBig Brother in Bulgaria.[50]
On Day 12 of the first season ofPromi Big Brother in Germany, she entered the house, as a Special Guest Star on the final day.[51]David Hasselhoff, a formerBaywatch co-star, was a contestant on Days 1 to 5.
Anderson was a contestant on thetenth season ofDancing with the Stars, partnered with professional dancerDamian Whitewood. The season premiered on March 22, 2010.[52] Anderson was eliminated after seven weeks.[53] She also took part in the15th season all-star edition in 2012 withTristan MacManus. Anderson and MacManus were eliminated in the first week of competition.[54]
In May 2011, she was a contestant on theBailando 2011 (Argentina), partnered with professional dancer Damian Whitewood. She left the competition after 4 weeks.[55]
2020s: Critical resurgence and plant-based cooking
Anderson made herBroadway debut playingRoxie Hart in the Broadway production ofChicago for eight weeks from April 12, 2022 to June 5, 2022[61] (her first time performing since 2019).[62] A few months later in 2023,Netflix released a documentary directed byRyan White on her life from childhood to the 2022 appearance inChicago, calledPamela, a Love Story. It was also produced by her son Brandon Thomas Lee, who received his firstPrimetime Emmy Award nomination as a producer in the2023Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special category for his work on the film.[63] Its release coincided with Anderson's autobiography,Love, Pamela,[64] which debuted at number two onThe New York Times Best Seller list within its first week of release.[65]
"I always say the win is in the work...I got to do something I really love, and I needed to do that for my soul."
After watchingPamela, a Love Story,Gia Coppola wanted to cast Anderson as Shelly in the 2024 drama filmThe Last Showgirl.[67] She sent the script to Anderson's then-agent who turned it down within the hour without letting Anderson know about it. Coppola then reached out to Anderson's son Brandon through mutual friends, who passed it along to his mother. While Anderson had given up on acting by this point,[68][69] she accepted the role. She was officially cast in February 2024, starring alongsideJamie Lee Curtis,Dave Bautista,Brenda Song,Kiernan Shipka andBillie Lourd.[70] The film premiered at theToronto International Film Festival in September 2024, with Anderson calling it "the role I have been waiting for my entire career".[71][72]Caryn James of theBBC called Anderson "a revelation" and wrote: "The low-key devastation Anderson has captured is the real acting triumph."[73] David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter said Anderson's "transformative performance is undeniably affecting, offering illuminating insights into both the character and the actress playing her, who has had to struggle to be taken seriously. This role should mark a turning point on that front."[74] Anderson received a nomination for aGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her performance in the film, marking her firstGolden Globe Award nomination and the first major industry acting nomination in her career.[75] She was also nominated for theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.
Anderson's 2024 plant-based cookbookI Love You: Recipes From the Heart,[81][82] was nominated for a 2025James Beard Award. The work of her photographer, Ditte Isager, was recognized in the "Media: Visuals" category.[83] Actress and talk show hostDrew Barrymore has noted that "literally as a cookbook collector" she findsI Love You: Recipes From the Heart to be "the most beautiful cookbook I've ever seen - it is stunning."[84]VegNews describesI Love You: Recipes From the Heart as one of "The Best Vegan Cookbooks of 2024,"[85]Chowhound calls it one of the "15 Best Vegetarian Cookbooks Of 2024,"[86] andSHE Media lists Anderson as one of "22 Celebrity Moms Whose Cookbooks Will Solve Your Dinner Problems."[87] During her interview with Anderson forElle,Martha Stewart stated thatI Love You: Recipes From the Heart is "very nicely done," and that Anderson drew fromFrench cuisine "in the most simple, beautiful way." She also told Anderson that herPierogi recipe "came out beautifully."[88] In addition, after testing a salad recipe in the book, Jessica Wrubel states inParade magazine that she is "completely smitten withI Love You as a whole. Pamela's journey into this softer, more personal territory—whether through her recipes or her stories—makes the book feel like an extension of her heart. If you've ever doubted the staying power of Pamela Anderson's influence, let this cookbook—and this salad—prove you wrong."[89]
In 2025, she began hostingPamela's Cooking with Love (a plant-based cooking show), when it debuted on Canada'sFlavour Network.[90] The show was greenlit in February 2023.[91]
In 2010, she posed for aPETA ad wearing a bikini with sections drawn on her body dividing it into ribs, rump, shoulder, etc., like a diagram of meat cuts; the ad'stagline was "All Animals Have the Same Parts". The ad was banned inMontreal,Quebec on grounds that it was sexist. Anderson retorted, "In a city that is known for its exotic dancing and for being progressive and edgy, how sad that a woman would be banned from using her own body in a political protest over the suffering of cows and chickens. In some parts of the world, women are forced to cover their whole bodies withburqas – is that next? I didn't think that Canada would be so puritanical."[93]
In 2012, she became a company spokesperson for FrogAds, Inc., a company that used her as part of a media campaign in apool operation of which she was unaware.[94][95][96]
In February 2014, she stripped for a Valentine's Day-themed ad for PETA, urging dog lovers to cuddle up with their pets during winter.[97]
On July 8, 2015, Anderson wrote toVladimir Putin to save whales.[98] On December 15, 2015, Anderson, representing theInternational Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), met with top Kremlin officials regarding animals rights in Russia.[99] On December 15, 2016, Anderson and IFAW officials met with Kremlin officials to discuss animal welfare and conservation.[100][101]
In December 2015, Anderson, a close friend ofSea Shepherd Conservation Society founderPaul Watson and a long-time supporter and advisory board member, became a full board member in order to further its efforts in opposing the hunting of whales.[102]
Anti-pornography
In a 2008 interview withThe Guardian, Anderson said that because she is aware of her Finnish ancestry, she considered moving to Finland and opening astrip club called "Lapland".[103] Later on, however, Anderson has become critical ofpornography.
In 2016, she co-authored a viral opinion article inThe Wall Street Journal with Orthodox rabbiShmuley Boteach, in which they calledonline pornography a "public hazard of unprecedented seriousness."[104][105][106][107] The two called for a "sensual revolution" to replace "pornography with eroticism, the alloying of sex with love, of physicality with personality, of the body's mechanics with imagination, of orgasmic release with binding relationships."[106] They later gave a joint lecture atOxford University to over 1,000 people.[108] Boteach observed: "It can be intimidating to talk about pornography and eroticism alongside an international sex symbol, but I think Pamela has handled it extremely well."[109] The two also wrote a book together,Lust for Love (2018), about how meaningful, passionate sex has been declining, and called for a new sensual revolution that emphasizes partners connecting in the bedroom.[108][110]
Julian Assange
In December 2016, in a statement toPeople magazine, Anderson calledWikiLeaks founderJulian Assange a "hero". She stated that he had done everyone "a great service" and that "[e]veryone in the world has benefited because of WikiLeaks," while decrying how "elaborate plots against him and made up sexual allegations could result in him being extradited to the US – where he would not be treated fairly – because of his exposure of truths."[111] In April 2019, Anderson expressed anger on Twitter at Assange's expulsion fromEcuador's London embassy.[112] In May 2019, Anderson visited Assange inBelmarsh prison withKristinn Hrafnsson, and said she believed Assange to be innocent, saying, "He is a good man, he is an incredible person. I love him, I can't imagine what he has been going through."[113]
In October 2019, Anderson announced she would be travelling to Australia in November 2019 to challengeAustralian Prime MinisterScott Morrison to stand up for Assange. In her announcement, she referenced the 'disparaging remarks' he made about her in 2018 and challenged him to debate the matter "in front of the Australian people." She also wrote another letter to Morrison asking him to use his influence to secure Assange's release. Morrison replied with a letter, saying that his government would respect Britain's judicial process and Assange would not receive any special help. In the text of a speech she had intended to give atParliament House, Canberra, Anderson said that Assange was suffering "psychological torture" in jail and that "every moment he is in there, he is in danger".[114][115][116]
In March 2005, Anderson became a spokesperson forMAC Cosmetics's MAC AIDS Fund, which helped people affected by AIDS and HIV. After becoming the official spokesmodel, Anderson raised money during Toronto, Tokyo, Dublin, and Athens events. Anderson became the celebrity spokesperson for theAmerican Liver Foundation and served as the Grand Marshal of the SOS motorcycle ride fundraiser.[118]
In November 2016, Anderson starred in a video public service announcement[120] produced by theNational Limousine Association and theNational Sexual Violence Resource Center as part of the Ride Responsibly initiative, titled The Driving Game, which aimed to shed light on the lack of universal driver regulations in the private ground transportation industry.[121]
Anderson once again starred in a video public service announcement[122] produced by the National Limousine Association in January 2018, this time in partnership with Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (PAVE), as part of the Ride Responsibly initiative. The video titledThe Signs pushes for passenger safety and universal driver regulations in the private ground transportation industry.[123]
Anderson has two sons from her first marriage toTommy Lee, Brandon Thomas (born in 1996)[127] and Dylan Jagger (born in 1997).[128] She became anaturalized citizen of the United States in 2004 while retaining her Canadian citizenship.[129][130] After moving to California in 1989, Anderson felt that it was important to become an American citizen in order to vote and one day petition to bring her parents to the U.S. and care for them when they were older.[131]
Anderson purchased a beach home inMalibu, California for $1.8 million in 2001 and attempted to sell it in 2013 for $7.75 million, but later took it off the market.[132] She previously lived in a mansion inCassis, in the commune ofMarseille, France.[133][134]
Anderson has been married five times. She married her first husband,Tommy Lee, drummer ofMötley Crüe, on February 19, 1995, after knowing him for only four days.[3] They married on a beach, with Anderson in a white bikini and Lee in boardshorts.[139] Lee was later sentenced to six months in the Los Angeles County Jail forspousal abuse after assaulting Anderson,[140] and they divorced in 1998.[141] A long custody dispute over their sons followed, and was finalized when they were granted joint custody in October 2002.[142] In March 2002, Anderson publicly stated that she had contractedhepatitis C by sharing tattoo needles with Lee, and began writing a regular column forJane magazine. In October 2003, Anderson jokingly said onHoward Stern's radio show that she did not expect to live more than 10 or 15 years,[143] but this was taken seriously by many websites and tabloids. By 2015 Anderson had been cured of hepatitis C.[144]
Anderson later marriedKid Rock, but after a miscarriage while in Vancouver shooting a new film,Blonde and Blonder,[145] Anderson filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences.[146]
In September 2007, Anderson stated onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show that she was engaged, and on September 29, Anderson andRick Salomon applied for a marriage license in Las Vegas.[147] On October 6, 2007, Anderson married Salomon in a small wedding ceremony atThe Mirage, between her two nightly appearances at thePlanet Hollywood Resort and Casino inHans Klok's magic show.[148] The couple separated on December 13, and on February 22, 2008, Anderson requested through the courts that the marriage beannulled, citing fraud.[149] In October 2013, Anderson stated onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show that she and Salomon were "friends with benefits". In January 2014, she announced that she had remarried Salomon on an unspecified date.[150] Anderson filed for divorce from Salomon in February 2015.[151] The divorce was finalized on April 29, 2015.[152]
She was in a relationship with French soccer playerAdil Rami from 2017 to 2019.[153]
On December 24, 2020, Anderson married Dan Hayhurst, her bodyguard.[154] On January 21, 2022, Anderson announced that she had filed for divorce and split with Hayhurst.[155]
Stolen home videos
In 1995, personal home videos of Anderson with her then-husbandTommy Lee recorded on ahouseboat onLake Mead were stolen and spliced together.[7] They were then sold as asex tape, which resulted in a legal fight and made her the subject of controversy.[8][156] Anderson sued the video distribution company,Internet Entertainment Group, who posted the video on their website ClubLove in November 1997.[157] Anderson was pregnant during the trial and, fearful of the extreme stress causing harm to her pregnancy, dismissed the case. The company began making the tape available to subscribers to its websites again, resulting in triple the normal traffic on the sites.[158] In the 2023Netflix documentaryPamela, a Love Story, Anderson said there was no confidential agreement over releasing rights to the video, and that she chose not to monetize it.[159]
The story of the tape was portrayed in theHulu 2022 miniseriesPam & Tommy. InPamela, a Love Story, Anderson said that she was not consulted about the production of the series. Critics, journalists, and academics posited that the series was profiting from Anderson's trauma and likely doing further harm to her.[160][161]Pamela, a Love Story verified those claims, in Anderson's own words.[162] Producers of the series were able to develop the series without her participation, permission, or consent by optioning the rights to an article published byRolling Stone in 2014.[163] Some critics felt that this was a similar violation of privacy that mirrored the tape originally being stolen and distributed without Anderson's and Lee's consent.[164]
Bibliography
Main author
Anderson, Pamela (2004).Star: A Novel. Atria Books.ISBN9780743493727.
^Contributors: Pamela Anderson, Julian Assange, Renata Avila, Katrin Axelsson, Franco "Bifo" Berardi, Sally Burch, Noam Chomsky, Patrick Cockburn, Naomi Colvin, The Courage Foundation, Mark Curtis, Daniel Ellsberg, Teresa Forcades i Vila, Charles Glass, Kevin Gosztola, Serge Halimi, Nozomi Hayase, Chris Hedges, Srećko Horvat, Caitlin Johnstone, Margaret Kimberley, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie, Lisa Longstaff, Alan MacLeod, Stefania Maurizi, Craig Murray, Fidel Narváez, John C. O'Day, John Pilger, Jesselyn Radack, Michael Ratner, Angela Richter, Geoffrey Robertson, Jennifer Robinson, Matt Taibbi, Natalia Viana, Ai Weiwei, Vivienne Westwood and Slavoj Žižek.</nowiki>[166]
^Converse, Cathy; Sawatsky, Adam (2011).Auntie Vie : a life of pickles and pearls. [Victoria, British Columbia]: TouchWood Editions.ISBN978-1-926971-75-9.OCLC1043642335.
^Rosewarne, Lauren. (2013).American Taboo The Forbidden Words, Unspoken Rules, and Secret Morality of Popular Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 114.ISBN978-0313399343
^Levins, Hoag (April 14, 2003)."Pamela Anderson Does Miller Lite".Ad Age.Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2021.'Pillow Fight' ... features Baywatch star Pamela Anderson covorting [sic] around a bedroom with the 'Catfight' babes.
^Marchese, David; Paskin, Willa (November 10, 2006)."What's real in 'Borat'?".Salon.Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. RetrievedApril 27, 2012.
^"New Citizen Pamela Anderson Can Now Vote".People. May 13, 2004.Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. RetrievedAugust 28, 2021.I felt it was important to become a U.S. citizen in order to vote in the United States," ... "U.S. citizenship will allow me, in the future, to petition to bring my children's grandparents down to the United States to care for them once they become older.
^Ali, Tariq; Kunstler, Margaret, eds. (June 19, 2019).In Defense of Julian Assange. OR Books.Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2023.
Joe Yonan (Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking, 2025)
Nominees
Moosewood Collective (Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant, 1991),(Moosewood Cooks for a Crowd, 1997), (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, 2002), and (Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates, 2004)
Deborah Madison (This Can't Be Tofu, 2001), (Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, 2006),(Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, 2007), (In My Kitchen, 2018)
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