Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Pamela Anderson
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Pamela Anderson made an impact.
Pamela Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, and media personality who gained initial fame as Playboy's February 1990 Playmate of the Month and for her numerous subsequent appearances on the magazine's cover. Her acting career began with a role on the sitcom Home Improvement (1991-1997), but she achieved international recognition for her role as C.J. Parker in the action drama series Baywatch (1992-1997). This role solidified her status as a prominent sex symbol.
1988: Moved to Vancouver
In 1988, Pamela Anderson moved to Vancouver and worked as a fitness instructor.
October 1989: Playboy Cover Girl
In October 1989, Pamela Anderson appeared as the cover girl on Playboy magazine.
1989: Spokesmodel Opportunity
In 1989, Pamela Anderson was featured on the jumbotron at a BC Lions game and briefly hired as a spokesmodel for Labatt's Beer.
February 1990: Playboy Playmate of the Month
In February 1990, Pamela Anderson was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month.
1991: Home Improvement Debut
In 1991, Pamela Anderson started her acting career on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement.
1992: Baywatch Career
In 1992, Pamela Anderson began her role as "C.J." Parker on Baywatch, achieving international recognition.
1993: Music Video Appearance
In 1993, Pamela Anderson appeared in Vince Neil's music video "Can't Have Your Cake".
1994: Raw Justice Film Role
In 1994, Pamela Anderson was cast in her first starring film role in Raw Justice.
1996: Barb Wire Film Release
In 1996, Pamela Anderson starred in the film Barb Wire.
April 1997: Saturday Night Live Hosting
In April 1997, Pamela Anderson guest-hosted Saturday Night Live.
1997: Baywatch Departure
In 1997, Pamela Anderson's run on Baywatch concluded.
1997: End of Home Improvement and Baywatch
In 1997, Pamela Anderson's time on both Home Improvement and Baywatch concluded.
September 1998: V.I.P. Series Premiere
In September 1998, Pamela Anderson starred as Vallery Irons in the series V.I.P.
1998: Stars in V.I.P.
In 1998, Anderson starred as Vallery Irons on the syndicated series V.I.P.
1999: "Miserable" Music Video
In 1999, Pamela Anderson appeared in Lit's music video for "Miserable".
2001: Sam Newman House and Miller Lite Commercial
In 2001, the Sam Newman House featuring Pamela Anderson's face was constructed, and she appeared in the Miller Lite TV commercial "Pillow Fight".
2002: End of V.I.P.
In 2002, the series V.I.P., starring Pamela Anderson, concluded.
2003: Scary Movie 3 Role
In 2003, Pamela Anderson appeared in Scary Movie 3.
2003: Baywatch Reunion
In 2003, Pamela Anderson reprised her role in the Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding movie.
May 2004: Playboy Cover
In May 2004, Pamela Anderson appeared nude on the cover of Playboy magazine.
March 2005: Spokesperson for MAC AIDS Fund
In March 2005, Pamela Anderson became a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics's MAC AIDS Fund, which helped people affected by AIDS and HIV. She raised money during events in Toronto, Tokyo, Dublin, and Athens.
August 14, 2005: Comedy Central Roast
On August 14, 2005, Comedy Central aired the Roast of Pamela Anderson.
December 2005: NBC Video Cut
In December 2005, NBC cut a video of Anderson pole dancing to Elton John's "The Red Piano".
2005: Starred in Stacked
In 2005, Pamela Anderson starred as Skyler Dayton on the Fox sitcom Stacked.
April 2006: Juno Awards Hosting
In April 2006, Pamela Anderson hosted Canada's Juno Awards.
May 18, 2006: Stacked Cancellation
On May 18, 2006, the Fox comedy series Stacked, starring Pamela Anderson, was cancelled.
2006: Borat Appearance and Stacked Cancellation
In 2006, Pamela Anderson appeared in Borat and the sitcom Stacked was cancelled.
2007: DirecTV Commercials
In 2007, Pamela Anderson appeared in commercials for DirecTV.
2008: Valentine's Day Act and Pam: Girl on the Loose
In 2008, Pamela Anderson performed a strip-tease act in Paris and starred in the reality series Pam: Girl on the Loose.
2008: Pam: Girl on the Loose Premiere
In 2008, Pamela Anderson starred in her own reality series, Pam: Girl on the Loose.
December 2009: Aladdin Pantomime
In December 2009, Pamela Anderson guest-starred as Genie of the Lamp in the pantomime Aladdin in London.
2009: Urges Legalization of Cannabis
In 2009, Pamela Anderson wrote an open letter to President Barack Obama urging the legalization of cannabis.
March 22, 2010: Dancing with the Stars Premiere
On March 22, 2010, Pamela Anderson's season of Dancing with the Stars premiered.
November 2010: Bigg Boss Appearance
In November 2010, Pamela Anderson appeared on season 4 of Bigg Boss, the Indian version of Big Brother.
2010: The Commuter Short Film
In 2010, Pamela Anderson appeared in the short film The Commuter.
2010: Dancing with the Stars Debut
In 2010, Pamela Anderson first appeared on Dancing with the Stars.
May 2011: Bailando 2011
In May 2011, Pamela Anderson was a contestant on Bailando 2011 (Argentina).
2011: Big Brother UK
In 2011, Pamela Anderson participated in the 12th season of Big Brother in the United Kingdom.
March 2012: Becomes spokesperson for FrogAds, Inc.
In March 2012, Pamela Anderson became a company spokesperson for FrogAds, Inc.
2012: VIP Brother Bulgaria
In 2012, Pamela Anderson appeared as a Special Houseguest on the fourth season of VIP Brother in Bulgaria.
2012: Dancing with the Stars
In 2012, Pamela Anderson participated in the Dancing with the Stars franchise again.
June 2013: Brazilian Vogue Editorial
In June 2013, Pamela Anderson was featured in a beach-themed editorial for Brazilian Vogue's "Body Issue".
2013: Dancing on Ice
In 2013, Pamela Anderson appeared on the British reality TV show Dancing on Ice.
February 2014: Stripped for PETA ad
In February 2014, Pamela Anderson stripped for a Valentine's Day-themed ad for PETA, urging dog lovers to cuddle up with their pets during winter.
July 8, 2015: Anderson writes to Putin to save whales
On July 8, 2015, Pamela Anderson wrote to Putin to advocate for whale conservation.
December 15, 2015: Meets with Kremlin Officials
On December 15, 2015, representing the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Pamela Anderson met with top Kremlin officials to discuss animal rights in Russia.
December 2015: Joins Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Board
In December 2015, Pamela Anderson, a long-time supporter of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, became a full board member to further efforts in opposing whale hunting.
November 2016: Stars in PSA on Limousine Safety
In November 2016, Pamela Anderson starred in "The Driving Game", a video public service announcement by the National Limousine Association and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center to raise awareness about driver regulations.
December 15, 2016: Meets with Kremlin Officials Again
On December 15, 2016, Pamela Anderson and IFAW officials met with Kremlin officials for a continued discussion on animal welfare and conservation.
2016: Co-Authors Article on Pornography
In 2016, Pamela Anderson co-authored an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, calling online pornography a "public hazard" and advocating for a "sensual revolution".
2017: Baywatch Film
In 2017, Pamela Anderson appeared in the Baywatch film.
January 2018: Stars in PSA on Limousine Safety
In January 2018, Pamela Anderson starred in "The Signs", a video public service announcement produced by the National Limousine Association in partnership with Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (PAVE) pushing for passenger safety.
September 29, 2018: French Dancing with the Stars Premiere
On September 29, 2018, Pamela Anderson's season of French Dancing with the Stars premiered.
November 8, 2018: Dancing with the Stars Elimination
On November 8, 2018, Pamela Anderson was eliminated on French Dancing with the Stars.
2018: Publishes Lust for Love
In 2018, Pamela Anderson and Shmuley Boteach published a book titled Lust for Love, calling for a sensual revolution that emphasizes partners connecting in the bedroom.
2018: City Hunter Film
In 2018, Pamela Anderson appeared in the film City Hunter.
2018: Executive Producer of The Game Changers
In 2018, Pamela Anderson served as an executive producer for the plant-based documentary, The Game Changers, along with James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jackie Chan, promoting a plant-based diet.
2019: Supports European Spring
In 2019, after supporting the yellow vests movement, Pamela Anderson attended a meeting of the European Spring with Yanis Varoufakis and Benoît Hamon and supported the German DiEM25 campaign.
2019: Endorses Green Party of Canada
In the 2019 Canadian federal election, Pamela Anderson endorsed the Green Party of Canada.
April 12, 2022: Broadway Debut
On April 12, 2022, Pamela Anderson made her Broadway debut playing Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago.
June 5, 2022: Chicago Performance
On June 5, 2022, Pamela Anderson's eight week run in Chicago concludes.
2022: Broadway Debut in Chicago
In 2022, Pamela Anderson made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago.
2022: Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy
In 2022, the Hulu miniseries 'Pam & Tommy' portrayed the story of the stolen tape. Anderson stated she was not consulted about the production.
2023: Anderson comments on Pam & Tommy in documentary
In 2023, in her Netflix documentary 'Pamela, a Love Story', Anderson said that she was not consulted about the production of the 'Pam & Tommy' series.
2023: Pamela, a Love Story documentary release
In 2023, the Netflix documentary 'Pamela, a Love Story' was released, where Anderson stated that there was no confidential agreement over releasing rights to the video, and that she never made money from it by choice.
February 2024: Cast in The Last Showgirl
In February 2024, Pamela Anderson was officially cast in Gia Coppola's drama film, The Last Showgirl, after initially being unaware of the opportunity. She stars alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and others, marking a return to acting after a period of relative inactivity.
September 2024: The Last Showgirl Premieres at TIFF
In September 2024, The Last Showgirl premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Anderson hailed it as "the role I have been waiting for my entire career". Her performance was critically acclaimed, with some calling it a transformative moment and a potential turning point in her career.
2024: I Love You: Recipes from the Heart Release
In 2024, Pamela Anderson authored and released the cookbook I Love You: Recipes from the Heart.
2024: The Last Showgirl Nominations
In 2024, Pamela Anderson earned Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for her role in The Last Showgirl.
2024: Publishes plant-based cookbook
In 2024, Pamela Anderson published her plant-based cookbook, I Love You: Recipes From the Heart, receiving positive reviews and recognition from various media outlets.
February 24, 2025: Pamela's Cooking with Love to Premiere
On February 24, 2025, Flavour Network's Pamela's Cooking with Love, a plant-based cooking show starring Pamela Anderson, will premiere.
