Pamela Anderson on Her Next Chapter, Taking Comedy Seriously, and the Truth About Motherhood

The first time Pamela Anderson flew to Los Angeles, she was reading Shirley MacLaine’s autobiography Out on a Limb. Four decades later, Anderson, 59, considers herself lucky to call MacLaine a new friend. In fact, during a recent breakfast date, the Hollywood legend shared some advice: “Play older! It’s so much more fun.”

Anderson spent the majority of her career pigeonholed as a sex symbol, from her days on the cover of Playboy through her tenure on Baywatch. But the actress is undergoing something of an acting renaissance, kicked off by her critically acclaimed turn as Roxie Hart in the 2022 production of Chicago on Broadway. Anderson has since starred in the devastating drama The Last Showgirl (2024) alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and a hilarious reboot of The Naked Gun (2025) with Liam Neeson. For her upcoming roles, Anderson took MacLaine’s advice.

On July 24, Anderson appears in Karim Aïnouz’s black tragicomedy Rosebush Pruning as The Mother, a matriarch of a twisted, wealthy family. Her role is small, but she steals nearly every scene she’s in with her exquisite comedic timing (also displayed in The Naked Gun). It would spoil too much to dive into her role, but suffice it to say, she shines among a star-studded cast, including Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, Riley Keough, Lukas Gage, and Jamie Bell.

Harper’s Bazaar’s questionnaire series “First, Now, Next” dives into the past, present, and future of some of our favorite creatives, spotlighting the moments and people that have influenced them. We touched base with Anderson about her love of Federico Fellini, her dream project, how Will Ferrell made her laugh more than ever before when she hosted Saturday Night Live, and her role in Michael Cera’s forthcoming directorial debut Love Is Not the Answer.

What’s the first movie that cracked something open in you?

All the Federico Fellini films: 8½ and Nights of Cabiria. I was just so enthralled with anything Fellini or anything Ingrid Bergman. People used to make fun of me because I loved films with subtitles and arthouse movie theaters. I just never knew what I was walking into or what I was going to see, which I thought was a little bit fun.

Who was your first true friend in the film industry?

I came to Los Angeles, and I didn’t know anybody. I obviously befriended Hugh Hefner and Jon Peters. These were my friends when I first landed in Los Angeles. I had no idea about how magnificent and wild these people were. It was overwhelming—a little out of my depth. It was a nice entry into this world. I felt very protected. I had never experienced it at that level—there would be people always talking about money and making movies. They were both quite notorious, so I figured the sky’s the limit.

Have you had a failure that ended up changing your career?

I made plenty of mistakes, but that’s all good material for your work. I was winging it, and I didn’t have any formula to follow. I never even realized in the moment how popular shows were or that I wasn’t a world traveler. I don’t know if anything was a mistake, but when you do become very famous for not a lot, your talents and things that you could really achieve get washed over. I didn’t get a chance to really explore anything that I felt would really challenge me until this chapter in my life. It’s been really exciting to start over. I feel like a little kid.

What was the first project that made you feel challenged?

When I played Roxie in Chicago on Broadway. I was determined to play her with vulnerability, because I really related to her in a lot of ways. I was working with Ivana Chubbuck really intensely since my Broadway stint because I wanted to give it all I had, and I knew I was drawn to dramatic roles. I really wanted to challenge myself. I didn’t know if I could sing or dance or act on stage, and I found doing it all at the same time worked for me.

What do you feel like inspired you to join Karim Aïnouz’s Rosebush Pruning?

First of all, I love Karim—he’s an incredible filmmaker. This script felt very provocative, and it was an ensemble, and I felt like it was very symbolic. I loved that it was about this vapid kind of family. I feel like it’s timely. I feel like there is this strange emptiness in our culture these days. I felt like it was very poignant and interesting the way it was going to be presented. There are some disturbing parts of this film, but it’s part of the story.

How did you prepare for this role?

I write a diary. I do everything for each character that I create, with playlists.

You’ve been jumping around genres a lot in your recent roles. Do you feel most comfortable in one, or are you trying to keep the role diversified?

I just love interesting filmmakers. I love Kornél Mundruczó—and just playing Ellen Burstyn’s daughter, I thought, was incredible. I’m just surrounding myself with people that I’m really inspired by. There are plenty of people I would love to work with that I haven’t been able to work with yet. It’s kind of a club. I hope they’ll let me in. I’ve had this history that is hard to let go of and navigate as kind of a new kid on the block, but not really being a new kid on the block. So that’s my dilemma. I feel like when I walk into a room, I think, “Oh God, why is she here?” But then I think, “No, I’m meant to be here. I have a lot to give.” There is a part of me that’s a fighter and rebellious, and I’m rebelling against my own image that I’ve been complicit in.

How did you define success at 16? How would you define it now?

When I was 16, I just didn’t want to be shy. I wanted to do anything I could to not be shy. It was paralyzing. And now I think success is the freedom to live the way I want to and be creative. And I feel very free in many ways. And so that feels like success.

If you could collaborate with anyone next, who would it be and why?

I’m just a fan of so many people’s work. I love the grittiness. I’ve always loved Jim Jarmusch. I’ve been a fan of his since the beginning. I love Nick Cave’s words, and Tom Waits’s voice. I love Tarantino, Sean Penn, Isabelle Huppert. We should all get together and do something.

What are you saying “no” to now? What are you saying “yes” to?

When I sense insincerity, I say no. And I say yes to all beautiful, provocative ideas.

What’s something your mom or dad did that drove you crazy but that you do now too?

Hopefully I’ve cured that part of me. I don’t think anything. I moved my parents onto my property. They live in a cabin on this little compound I have on Vancouver Island. So they’re close, but not too close. Sometimes I scratch my head going, why have I done this to myself? But anyway, they’re a great support system, and I’m here for them. And I’ve always valued looking after your people.

As an actress, you’re an alchemist; you’ve got to turn all the crap you’ve gone through or things that you’ve seen and known—you observe all these people, and you put it into your work. That’s been so great about these movies. Every movie feels like it’s healing a part of you, and you don’t even realize that when you’re in it. It’s better than therapy.

What part do you think was healing inside of you as the Mother in Rosebush Pruning? (MAJOR SPOILER!)

The dysfunction of the family and then her leaving with her lesbian gardener and being eaten by wolves. This film, for me, felt like it was a time of the times, and it’s not going to be for everybody. Everything about it was symbolic.

Being the Mother, obviously I am a mother, and I can recognize the mother must end. The mother must end for kids to blossom, and we are guilty of staying connected to our kids in ways that are controlling and manipulative and toxic, and there’s something about … what a way to go, fed to the wolves.

If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life and had to pull it out of your closet right now, what would you reach for?

I’d be barefoot in a white linen dress, no makeup. I’m wearing it right now.

What was the last thing you splurged on? What is one thing you still refuse to spend a lot of money on?

I spend probably too much money on my homes and gardens, so a garden gate, an old truck. But I refuse to spend money on clothes. I have way too many clothes. I have more than enough to finish out my life with.

What’s the first thing to really make you laugh?

My favorite comedy is The Jerk. But the first time I was actually working and broke out laughing was when I was hosting Saturday Night Live. I could not hold it together when Will Ferrell was looking at me, and we were doing a sketch from “The Pigs in Space,” and I could not stop laughing—his pig face was too much. I was lucky to be on Saturday Night Live in those days.

When you get into your comic roles, do you have reference points?

When I did The Naked Gun, I really wanted to keep the performance grounded. I was determined to fall in love, and I really worked hard on the character development. You’re not playing the joke; you are in it, you are grounded. It’s an authentic, true experience, and your intention is really important. It’s not slapstick. When I was getting ready for The Naked Gun, I was watching Chinatown and Schindler’s List. I was watching Liam. I was devouring a lot of really interesting film, and it didn’t make a difference that it was a comedy—I worked hard on it.

What can you tell me about your role in Michael Cera’s Love Is Not the Answer?

I like to say this is my Hail Mary. I love this role. Michael was a genius. He’s crazy. He has a cadence about him. It was a complete transformation, an absolute, complete transformation. I saw a little, tiny piece [of the film] the other day when I was doing ADR [Automated Dialogue Replacement], and I was like, “Who is that?” It’s a complete departure from everything, and I hope people love it.

You just have to look at Michael Cera and think, “What is his directorial debut going to be?” It was a trip. We worked very hard. I am so appreciative of the experience that he chose me for it, because Jean is a complicated character. And working with Steve Coogan, whom I love, he’s like a wild man.