CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.
I think it's probably safe to say that most of us raised at least one dubious brow at the news that Hulu's Pam & Tommy would star Lily James and Sebastian Stan as one of the 1990s most famous couples, Baywatch superstar Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. But, then we saw the first pictures of the duo as they began filming, and we were blown away by how much James and Stan looked like the real-life people they were playing. Now, we've also gotten a look at James as she sports Anderson's iconic red Baywatch swimsuit, and the similarity is astounding.
Lily James has done a very good job of serving up some different looks as she's worked on movies in the time since she shot to stardom on Downton Abbey. She gave us the golden blonde look in Cinderella, and has switched back and forth from some shade of brilliantly light hair to brunette looks several times, but nothing will likely prepare you for her continued resemblance to Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy. Take a look at the photos of her which were posted to Instagram by the hair department head on the mini-series, Barry Lee Moe, so we can gab about James' new look!
WOW. I mean, honestly, if I didn't know that this wasn't an actual behind the scenes shot of the real Pamela Anderson during her time on Baywatch, there'd be nothing to keep me from saying that this image of Lily James is the original Pam. The hair, those paper-thin eyebrows which were maddeningly in style back then, her completely unnecessary daytime smolder smoky eye makeup...It's all totally on point.
In fact, why don't we go ahead and take a look at Anderson during her time on that amazingly popular beach-set series, so that we can all see just how closely the hair and makeup team on Pam & Tommy have gotten to the real woman. Behold:
I mean, it's uncanny. And, if you're saying to yourself, "Well, self, Lily does look good and a lot like Pam here, but why is this such a big deal?" It probably means that you're an adorably young person who missed all or most of Pamela Anderson's 1990s. That's right, I'm saying a whole decade belonged to Pam Anderson, and if you'd lived through it you'd know that I'm not far off.
Anderson made a major name for herself by modeling for Playboy, and appeared on more covers than anyone else during her 22 years working with the magazine. After her first cover appearance in 1989, she turned that into a two-season stint as part of the cast on the sitcom hit Home Improvement, then moving on to Baywatch, which cemented her as a worldwide sensation. During this career and popularity peak, Anderson met Tommy Lee, and after just four days of knowing one another, the pair married in 1995.
The couple had two sons, and a tumultuous marriage which was often tabloid fodder, including when their honeymoon sex tape was stolen and leaked to the public, and Pam & Tommy will follow the couple through these very public ups and downs. While their union only lasted about three years, word of their troubles and triumphs dominated the news and turned them into one of the most talked about couples of the decade.
Lily James is off to a strong start in her role as Pamela Anderson, and I can admit that seeing her in full Pam regalia has made me way more eager to watch her and Sebastian Stan in Pam & Tommy when it finally debuts.
We don't have a release date for Pam & Tommy just yet, but in the meantime, you can see what's new with our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule!
