Pamela Anderson Opened Up About Her “Lonely” Life as an Artist in an Emotional Essay

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"I’ve been objectified at times, and written off."

It’s been a big awards season for Pamela Anderson, who’s getting her flowers for The Last Showgirl after decades of work in Hollywood. On Sunday, the Baywatch alum is up for her very first Screen Actors Guild Award–Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role–for her role as Shelly, a veteran Las Vegas performer whose longtime show is suddenly cancelled. Ahead of the 2025 SAG Awards on February 23, Anderson penned an emotional essay opening up about the “lonely” life she’s lived as an artist, as well as a message of hope for struggling entertainers. 

“Being an artist is solitary, lonely and full of secrets,” the former Playboy model wrote in her People essay as she talked about the hardships that she and other entertainers had encountered in an “industry of misfits.” She noted, "Just a reminder: a very small percentage of the Screen Actors Guild makes a living as an actor… not everyone in the guild is a movie star."

“I’ve been there. I’ve been objectified at times, and written off. I’ve made mistakes, reinvented myself time and again,” she shared in the candid statement. “And, I’ve also given up—but found that when I thought it was the end, it was truly the beginning.”

Anderson opened up about how she related to her character Shelly’s struggles, continuing, “She has found her calling, her meaning and her way to cope—and it’s being ripped out from under her. No one else understands that better than a performer, who gets the ‘life and death’ element of being seen, heard and essentially loved.”

The star concluded her pre-SAG Awards essay with an empowering message, writing, “Though youth, energy, and beauty may be perishable—and rejection is a constant—be strong, stay soft and never give up. Harvest time comes after all you have endured, planted and put into yourself. If you have something to give, there is a place for it. There is no need to explain one’s self… because it’s unexplainable.”

Anderson has previously opened up about struggling with her mental health, telling Variety at October's Zurich Film Festival that she was grateful for where she was at now after having “had depression for a couple of decades.”

“I don’t think I could have played this character [in The Last Showgirl] if I wouldn’t have the life that I had, so it was worth it,” she continued. “If I can continue working and using these struggles and challenges… I’ll feel blessed.”

Anderson also told fans that they can expect more movie appearances in the future as she accepted the Golden Eye Award at the film festival. “I never thought I would be on stage, receiving an award like that,” she shared. “I just want to keep working. I am excited to do more."

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