Pamela Anderson

Bleached blonde, buxom, but slender bombshell Pamela Anderson stands out in any crowd as one of the sex symbols of the mid-'90s. Known first as a spokesmodel for Labatt beer, then as one of Playboy magazine's most popular models, Anderson gained... more

Bleached blonde, buxom, but slender bombshell Pamela Anderson stands out in any crowd as one of the sex symbols of the mid-'90s. Known first as a spokesmodel for Labatt beer, then as one of Playboy magazine's most popular models, Anderson gained international recognition after she was cast as C.J., the sweet but tough lifeguard in the impossibly tight red bathing suit in the phenomenally popular syndicated television series Baywatch. Her popularity has led to several film roles, notably that of the black leather bustier-wearing title heroine in the comic-book actioner Barb Wire (1996). The role was appropriate, for there is something indeed cartoonish about Anderson, who had enhanced her petite frame with big hairdos, surgically inflated lips, and silicon breast implants (since removed). Anderson made a splash on the day she was born, as she was the first centennial baby in her region of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She first attracted media notice in 1989, when a roving camera caught a glimpse of her during a professional football game in Vancouver. The picture of the cheering Anderson, who was wearing a Labatt's tee shirt at the time, was simultaneously shown on the arena's Jumbotron screen. Though her body was, surgically speaking, still in its original condition, her attributes and beauty were enough to cause a sensation. Labatt's executives remembered the crowd's positive reaction and hired her to become the brewery's spokeswoman. She attracted the attention of Playboy and was hired to do a photo layout. She has since gone on to appear on the magazine's cover an unprecedented five times. Once in Hollywood, she changed her appearance and soon found work guest starring on television shows. Her first recurring role was on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement where she played Lisa, the Tool Time Girl. Anderson made her film debut playing a cheerleader in the low-budget actioner The Taking of Beverly Hills (1992). She has also appeared in a few television movies, including Come Die With Me: A Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Mystery (1994). Although an attempt to translate her small-screen success to the silver screen in the comic-book Casablanca adaptation Barb Wire proved unsuccessful to say the least, Anderson continued to thrill television audiences in Baywatch and stirred up much controversy when an extremely intimate honeymoon video of herself and then-husband Tommy Lee began making the rounds in 1998. Though the couple parted ways that same year in a highly publicized divorce case, Anderson went on to marry another bad boy, Detroit musician Kid Rock after returning to television as a sexy secret agent on the series V.I.P. . Anderson shocked her fan base in early 2002 when she announced that she had contracted the Hepatitis C virus, but this wouldn't kept he bombshell down. She provided the voice for the sexy tongue-in-cheek star of the Spike TV animated series Striperella and made appearances on shows like Less Than Perfect and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. In 2006, she appeared in Sacha Baron Cohen's mockumentary Borat. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide less