Pamela Anderson Lands Lead Role in Gia Coppola’s ‘The Last Showgirl’: It’s a ‘Daring Performance’
Pamela Anderson is returning to the big screen. The “Barb Wire” and “Baywatch” star is set to lead Gia Coppola’s third feature film “The Last Showgirl,” described as a redemption story about an aging Las Vegas dancer looking to connect with her adult daughter after her show is abruptly canceled. Seemingly part “Hacks” and part “The Wrestler,” the film is written by “Up Here” and “The Good Place” scribe Kate Gersten and directed by Coppola.
“The Last Showgirl” marks Anderson’s first lead role in years, and her latest feature after 2022’s “Alone at Night.” In addition to Anderson, the star-studded cast includes Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd.
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The official logline for the film reads: “A seasoned showgirl (Anderson) must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a thirty-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.”
“Palo Alto” and “Mainstream” director Coppola called Anderson’s role a “daring and heartfelt performance,” saying in a press statement, “I’ve always wanted to make a movie in Vegas. I’m so proud of our cast and crew, especially Pamela.”
“The Last Showgirl” is produced by Robert Schwartzman and Natalie Farrey. Producer Schwartzman said in his own statement, “Dream project, dream cast. We couldn’t be more honored and appreciative of the chance to tell an authentic Las Vegas story that pays homage to the iconic Showgirl, told through Gia’s unique sense of style and visual storytelling.”
The film recently wrapped production in Las Vegas, Nevada. CAA is handling sales.
Anderson previously released Netflix documentary “Pamela, A Love Story” and spoke out about the viral Hulu limited series “Pam & Tommy” that fictionalized her tumultuous relationship with Tommy Lee.
Anderson told Variety earlier in February 2024 that she finally feels “seen and embraced” by Hollywood.
“I’ve had some incredible opportunities come our way,” Anderson said. “But again, we like to do things in our own unique way. There’s no formula that we’re following. We’re really going on gut instinct and keeping it like it always has been, just authentic and doing our best. There’s a lot of things in the works that I’m really excited about. I finally feel like I’m able to show a little bit of what I’m made of and not settling for ‘that’s all there is.’ So this is the time to really embrace who I am. Myself. I think you can kind of live in a character, and you start believing what other people say about you. I’ve finally been able to strip all that away and feel really free. So this has been an incredible time for me and I’m happy with where things are. It’s a just an empowering time. I feel like we’re just stepping into all the things that were meant to be and all of that was for a reason. And here we are.”
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