About
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, and activist whose name has been tied to pop-culture moments for more than three decades. She rocketed to worldwide attention during the 1990s as lifeguard C.J. Parker on Baywatch and, at the same time, became the person with the most Playboy covers in the magazine’s history. In the 2020s she refreshed her public image yet again—first with her 2023 Netflix documentary Pamela, a Love Story and memoir Love, Pamela, and later with a well-reviewed turn in the indie film The Last Showgirl (2024). In May 2025 she showed up at the annual fashion gala at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art sporting a sharp blonde bob and micro-bangs, calling the dramatic chop a tribute to “feminine strength” rather than traditional glamour. The constant thread through every reinvention has been her outspoken support for animal rights and her ability to turn personal storytelling into a platform for larger causes.
Before Fame
Anderson was born on July 1, 1967, in Ladysmith, British Columbia, to furnace repairman Barry Anderson and waitress Carol Anderson. Her very first brush with the spotlight happened minutes after birth: newspapers dubbed her Canada’s “Centennial Baby” because she arrived on the country’s 100th birthday.
Growing up on Vancouver Island, she played high-school volleyball and considered a career as a physical-education teacher. Everything changed in the summer of 1989 when she attended a BC Lions football game in Vancouver. A stadium camera zoomed in on her Labatt’s Beer crop top, and the entire crowd cheered; the brewing company quickly signed her for a series of ads. Playboy noticed the buzz and flew her to Los Angeles. Less than a year later she appeared as Playmate of the Month in the February 1990 issue, relocated to California, and landed small acting roles on Home Improvement before joining Baywatch and finding global fame.
Trivia
- Record-setting cover star: She has posed for Playboy more than any other individual in the magazine’s history.
- Dual citizenship: Anderson holds both Canadian and United States passports, allowing her to work easily on either side of the border.
- Broadway debut: In 2022 she stepped onto the Broadway stage as Roxie Hart in Chicago, earning warm reviews and surprising skeptics who doubted her live-theater chops.
- Vegan advocate: A long-time supporter of PETA, she launched a plant-based cooking series, Pamela’s Cooking with Love, in early 2025 and released a companion cookbook that became a James Beard Award nominee.
- Signature look, suddenly switched: For most of her career Anderson’s flowing blonde hair was as recognizable as the red swimsuit from Baywatch. In spring 2025 she unveiled a chin-length bob, explaining that the shorter style made her feel “like a warrior.”
- Ink with meaning: She sports several tattoos, including one that originally read “Tommy” (for her first husband) but was later altered to “Mommy” after their divorce.
Family Life
Family has always played a visible role in Anderson’s narrative. She remains close to her parents, who still live on Vancouver Island, and often credits them with keeping her grounded when Hollywood pressures peak. Her younger brother, Gerry, is an actor and producer who has appeared in her projects.
Anderson has been married multiple times—most famously to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in 1995. The pair’s sons, Brandon Thomas Lee (born 1996) and Dylan Jagger Lee (born 1997), are now carving out careers in film production and music, respectively. She later wed rocker Kid Rock and poker player Rick Salomon (twice). While those marriages ended, she speaks warmly of co-parenting with Lee and has brought both sons as her dates to red-carpet events, including the 2025 gala in New York.
In recent years Anderson has spent long stretches at her renovated grandmother’s house on Vancouver Island, enjoying gardening, writing, and hosting animal-rescue fund-raisers. She has said that the quieter coastal life helps her reset between film and activism commitments.
Associated With
Throughout her career Anderson has collaborated—and occasionally tangled—with a wide range of high-profile figures:
- David Hasselhoff and Yasmine Bleeth: Fellow lifeguards on Baywatch, the series that exported sun-soaked California fantasy to more than 140 countries.
- Tommy Lee: Her first husband and the other half of a 1990s celebrity power couple whose stolen home video became a media storm.
- Paul McCartney and Sir Roger Moore: Partners in several PETA campaigns urging fashion houses to abandon fur.
- Ryan White: Director of the 2023 Netflix documentary Pamela, a Love Story, which allowed Anderson to retell her life in her own words.
- Tory Burch: The designer who outfitted her shimmering gown for the 2025 Metropolitan Museum gala, signaling a style evolution alongside the new haircut.
- Lily James: British actress who portrayed Anderson in Hulu’s 2022 limited series Pam & Tommy, prompting Anderson to reclaim her narrative through her own memoir and documentary.
