'Pam & Tommy': How did Lily James transform into the '90s bombshell Pamela Anderson
Playing the role of a real person is never easy. If an actor is not able to portray it well, then his or her fans might rip you apart on social media. So, an actor is always in dilemma as to how to approach the role. One of the most difficult tasks of playing a real-life person is how to look just like them and that’s what Lily James faced while working on Hulu’s latest series ‘Pam & Tommy’.
When we look at Lily James and Pamela Anderson, we can see a lot of differences in their mannerisms, the way they speak, and their bodies. Anderson was considered to be one of the hottest female celebrities in Hollywood during the '90s and early 2000s. She made numerous appearances in Playboy Magazine and turned into a household name after appearing on ‘Baywatch’.
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James never thought she would be approached for playing the role of Pamela Anderson and when she was, she had to go some rigorous training to look and sound like Anderson. So, let’s take a look at how she transformed into the '90s diva.
How did Lily James transform into Pamela Anderson?
Lily James had to bring in a lot of changes to look and sound like Pam. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she broke down how much work was needed to make her look like the ‘Baywatch’ star. In order to look like her, James started working out with a personal trainer that also trained Daisy Ridley. The actress revealed that she lost a lot of weight and began working out six months before the filming began.
“He (Matt Bevan) worked me so hard and I got really fit. I lost a ton of weight. I've put it all back on again though, unfortunately. But I felt really athletic, which I hadn't done for a long time and there was great confidence that came from that. I feel less self-conscious on a beach now,” said James.
She also shared that her training was so rigorous that the trainer would make her read the script while exercising on a running machine.
Another thing that helped her in becoming Anderson was makeup. When the shooting began, the ‘Baby Driver’ star would give almost 4 hours of her time to the amazing makeup artists that made her face look like the ‘Home Improvement’ actor. James said, “I was in the makeup chair at 3:30 a.m., and there would be this four-hour process to get me into the Pamela look.”
Interestingly, the actress didn’t need many prosthetics as they didn’t need a “barrier” between her and her expressions.
She would also get a dark spray tan on her body to make her complexion like the ‘Baywatch’ actor. It was really important for the makers to be authentic and that’s why additional tan makeup was put on James to make sure that she had the ride shade.
Apart from her acting prowess, Anderson was particularly known for her looks, especially her breasts. So, that was also one aspect that James had to get right. The makeup department made a “breast piece” for the actress and she absolutely loved wearing it. While talking about it, she revealed, “The breast piece was amazing. You would never, never know it wasn't me. It was shocking.”
However, it also gave her nightmares. While shooting, the breast piece would get really hot and was coming off due to sweat.
Although Anderson is not involved in the series, James hoped for getting a chance to sit down with Pam and get to know more of her. Sadly, it couldn’t happen.
Nevertheless, the series based on the infamous sex tape will be premiering on Hulu on Monday, February 2, and is considered one of the most highly-anticipated shows of the year.
