How Lily James Transformed Into Pamela Anderson for ‘Pam & Tommy’
“Natural beauty takes at least two hours,” Pamela Anderson once joked. In Lily James’ case, it took about four to transform into the ‘90s beauty and style icon for the new Hulu series, Pam & Tommy. James plays the Playboy centerfold turned “Tool Time Girl” turned Baywatch legend alongside Sebastian Stan as Anderson’s ex-husband, legendary rocker Tommy Lee, during the mid-nineties when their infamous sex tape was stolen and leaked on a pre-social media internet. (Seth Rogen, in a mullet, is the contractor who burglarized their home.)
It’s a peak ‘90s storyline — and peak Pam style. From her voluminous blonde hair and smokey eyeshadow, to the over-the-top headpieces worn on the red carpet, and even the bright-colored minidresses seen in the show V.I.P. (once described by Anderson as a “Spice Girls Bodyguard Agency”), the icon was never known for her subtlety. Which is why James’ hours in the makeup room involved several wigs, makeup, a full tan, face and body prosthetics, wardrobe, and even details such as applying tattoos and fake scars (like the ones on Anderson’s arm from when she was attacked by leeches at age nine)
For any biographical portrayal, especially for someone as famous as Anderson, one of the biggest challenges for the makeup and costume teams is making sure it doesn’t come across like a caricature. “You run the risk of it looking artificial and sort of costumey, and the last thing you want is your actor to be almost in drag as Pam Anderson,” says hair department head Barry Lee Moe. “You want to create realistic, honest portrayals of these people.” Especially, in this case, because Anderson refused to be a part of the process.
James told Net-a-Porter’s Porter magazine that she tried contacting Anderson, but to no avail. At least there were countless paparazzi and red carpet images for the makeup and wardrobe departments to pull inspiration from. “It was such a collaborative process. So much of what the look ended up being relied on all of our teams working in harmony together to really successfully portray this look,” says Moe. “Pam Anderson is iconic in every way, shape and form, so to dive into that world and break it down through images was really exciting.”
Pam & Tommy’s makeup department head David Williams was in charge of recreating Anderson’s trademark makeup: a dramatic smokey eye, a neutral full lip, thin, arched eyebrows, and voluminous lashes. The look was invented by Alexis Vogel, a makeup artist and close friend of Anderson’s, whom she first met on the set of her 1993 Playboy cover.
