When we think of THE Pamela - we think of her as a 20-something babin' surf lifesaver running in slo-mo on a Californian beach. If you're like me you haven’t heard much about her since that era -
Until recently. I stumbled across her documentary 'Pamela, a Love Story' detailing her early career and the leak of a very personal explicit video that led to what was ultimately the end of her then-career, in her early 30s.
The documentary also follows her love life and evolution as a dedicated and loving mother- and culminates in the success of a new and very different acting role for her on Broadway.
Throughout the doco, she is fresh-faced and without make-up. Speaking candidly, zero vanity and extremely raw and real. It won me over. There was so much to her story and a whole perspective had arrived that had been missing throughout the unfolding of her rise to fame, sex tape scandal and eventual step out of the spotlight - her own. Upon reflection, I am a little horrified that no one stopped to consider her adequately in all this, she was considered more a body than a complex woman.
Now, in her late 50s, she is the star of ‘The Last Showgirl’ - a gorgeous and real film about an aging and out-of-work showgirl, also telling the story of the lives of older women when no one is watching.
Anderson's character is soft-voiced, full of joy, hope and tenacity. It’s a film about work, glamour and friendship for women at a time when invisibility starts to become their superpower.
This film lights up its subjects centre stage - it’s tender and spectacular and one of the most thrilling parts to it is Pamela herself - not just for her exquisite performance but also for witnessing her redeem her own story arc and step into being the artist she always dreamt of being.
To see a woman redeem her story at this stage of life, own her power and proudly be seen on the silver screen, magazine covers and the red carpet fresh-faced, age on display, really rocks our world.
Pamela, you still got it.
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