Pamela Anderson’s reinvention from a ‘blonde bimbo’ to critically-acclaimed actress: At 58, the Baywatch star is nailing her second act with savvy business ventures after spending years at home ‘feeling sad’

With a legendary role in one of the biggest shows of the 90s and a record number of Playboy covers that cemented her status as a sex symbol, it may be difficult to imagine how Pamela Anderson’s career could have reached higher accolades than it would have decades ago, before the work gradually quieted down.

However, aged 58, she is soaring higher than ever – and far from the top of her peak after racking up award nominations, a successful product line and a new legion of dedicated twentysomethings trying to cosplay her looks on social media.

After the release of the well-reviewed drama The Last Showgirl in 2024, the actress received more award nominations for her lead performance than she had in her entire filmography up to that point.

It followed with theatrical performances on the stage and a more recent blockbuster role in Naked Gun, a comedy, alongside her new ‘boyfriend’ Liam Neeson.

‘Pamela Anderson’s recent renaissance is one of the most compelling case studies in brand evolution I’ve seen in years,’ PR expert Chad Teixera told the Daily Mail.

‘At 50, she has not only redefined herself, she has expanded her cultural relevance far beyond the iconic red swimsuit we all came to know her for.

‘For decades, she was often underestimated and often treated as a symbol rather than a serious talent.

‘But instead of rejecting her Baywatch past, she’s embraced it as a foundation, using the familiarity of that image to invite audiences into a far more layered, authentic version of herself.’

Pamela’s influence in the cultural lexicon has truly exploded, with her horde of fans also including A-lister Beyoncé, who paid homage to the model with her latest album artwork.

‘Her recent award-nominated film roles prove that she is a performer of real depth, capable of nuance and vulnerability that audiences perhaps didn’t expect,’ Chad added.

‘This pivot didn’t come from rebranding through denial, but from adding new dimensions to a legacy people already knew. That’s the secret to sustainable reinvention, to build on rather than erase your origin story.’

In February, she  gushed over her ‘wonderful’ career resurgence – admitting she’d been ‘feeling a kind of sadness’ during her break from acting before the ‘renaissance’ on The Graham Norton Show.

Recalling how her part in the movie came about, she told the host : ‘I was making pickles and writing a cookbook and making my life beautiful no matter what but I had this kind of sadness thinking I had so much more to give’. 

‘So, when the script arrived I thought, ‘I am going to grab this part by the throat and do it.’ 

Speaking about her comeback, Pamela admitted she was ‘enjoying the moment’ and branded it a ‘really wonderful’ thing to be happening at this stage in her life. 

Earlier this year, the star also took her acting talents to the stage as she joined the cast of a revival of the legendary playwright Tennessee Williams’ drama Camino Real, held at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. 

The actress starred in the play – which was positively reviewed and premiered in its completed final form in 1953 – alongside Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who is best known for his buzzy role in the true-crime limited series Monsters: The Lyle and Erick Menendez Story.

The showing, which departs from the realism of some of William’s better-known plays in favor of a surrealistic, dream-like style, features the character Kilroy (played by Nicholas) exploring a plaza at the end of a road, the eponymous Camino Real. 

In addition to the characters population the nearly empty plaza, famous literary figures – including Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, the poet Lord Byron, Casanova and Esmeralda of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame fame – are featured in dream sequences. 

Pamela appeared as one of the literary figures: Marguerite ‘Camille’ Gautier, from Alexandre Dumas fils’ novel The Lady of the Camellias.

The run of shows, which ended earlier this month, was the Baywatch star’s comeback to theatre after about three years – having last played Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway.

The musical – which was adapted into the Oscar-winning film starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere – marked her debut on Broadway. 

‘I think I’ve been rehearsing my whole life for this,’ she said of the musical in an interview with Vogue from March 2022. 

She admitted at the time that her casting was ‘unexpected’ for many theatergoers.

In her latest viewing, Pamela plays a slapstick parody of a femme fatale – which has been heavily praised by critics.

‘Anderson is the best thing about The Naked Gun, Akiva Schaffer’s reboot of the 1980s and ’90s comedy franchise from filmmaking trio David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, who knew how to turn silliness into gold,’ Time Magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek penned.

Elsewhere, for Vanity Fair, Richard Lawson gushed: ‘Every noir detective needs his mysterious vamp, and thus The Naked Gun has brought in Pamela Anderson to play Beth Davenport, the glamorous sister of a murder victim – and, of course, a sultry love interest for Frank.

‘Anderson, with her breathy voice and bombshell past, is shrewdly cast here, and seizes the opportunity to tweak her erstwhile image.

‘She and Neeson merrily stage the film’s crudest jokes, two actors from wholly different avenues of their profession finding zany harmony at this strangest of intersections.’

Pamela’s fans don’t just include the viewers – co-star Liam told People in October that he was ‘madly in love’ with Pamela after their collaboration.

‘She’s just terrific to work with. I can’t compliment her enough, I’ll be honest with you. No huge ego,’ he shared. ‘She just comes in to do the work. She’s funny and so easy to work with. She’s going to be terrific in the film.’

Pamela went on to call her new ‘beau’ the ‘perfect gentleman’ and praised him for how he ‘brings out the best in you’.

Chad however stressed that Pam’s popularity is down to more than just her acting chops – which are, after long, being recognised now. 

‘Equally impressive is her business acumen. Pamela’s product lines aren’t opportunistic; they are aligned with her lifelong passion for animal welfare and veganism,’ he told the Daily Mail.

‘That level of authenticity resonates powerfully in today’s market, where consumers (especially younger ones) demand and expect more from purpose-driven brands. 

‘She has built ventures that feel both commercially viable and personally meaningful, which is rare in celebrity enterprises.’

Most recently, the star launched a line of ‘tangy and herbaceous’ line of ‘spicy rose dill’ pickles.

A glossy photoshoot, complete with the celebrity sporting gardening gloves and a chic floppy sunhat was curated to promote the range, which retail for $38 (£28) for one 25 fl oz/ 709 mL jar.

All the money from the jars goes to support the California Wildlife Center, which works to help rescue, rehabilitation, and release of animals – a cause near and dear to vegan Pamela’s heart.

‘The secret to Pamela’s Pickles is an award winning recipe that was passed down to her by her great-aunt Vie,’ the website promises.

‘The delicious base is packed with Rose, Dill, Mustard, and Garlic — the perfect partner for the signature flavors of Flamingo Estate: Pink Peppercorns, Guajillo Chile, and smoky Sea Salt.’

Chad added that Pamela has also cemented her status as a cultural beacon – with supporters across all decades. 

‘Her decision to embrace a no-makeup look in recent years is the perfect extension of this evolved brand,’ Chad continued.

‘For someone once synonymous with high-glam beauty, stripping it back is both a personal and cultural statement and she’s now become known for being a visual embodiment of confidence, authenticity, and a refusal to conform to outdated expectations of women in Hollywood.

‘Perhaps most fascinating is her impact on Gen Z. They’re not just copying her ’80s and ’90s glam aesthetic, instead they’re embracing her as a feminist figure who has navigated decades of objectification, media scrutiny, and personal reinvention with integrity.

‘In an age of rapid cancel culture, Pamela’s story is one of resilience, self-awareness, and smart self-positioning… she has transformed from a pop-culture archetype into a multi-generational icon, and she’s done it without losing sight of who she is.’

Pamela got her start in Playboy magazine and then became a household name thanks to her role as CJ Parker on Baywatch.

Also instrumental in her comeback has been the actress’s eldest son Brandon, 29, who is an ‘Emmy Nominated Producer and Investor’ according to his Instagram, where he has more than 449,000 followers. 

He has worked on a myriad of a projects with his mother, with credits on: Pamela’s Cooking with Love, Pamela: A Love Story, Pamela’s Garden of Eden and, perhaps most famously, the Gia Coppola-directed The Last Showgirl.

In December, spoke out about how he made it his mission to help his mother shift her narrative from sex symbol to human being – and to aid her in following her dreams.

In an interview with Variety, he explained: ‘My personal mission was to give my mom the opportunities she gave me as a child.

‘She would do anything for me. She showed up and was a very good mother. And at a certain point in your life, you become a protector.’

Brandon, who overseas the family’s business affairs, noted that he wanted his mother to ‘have the opportunity’ to ‘achieve success in the field she wants to be in’.