3 days ago
Pamela Anderson on Personal Style, Self-Acceptance, and Date Night
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Marco Bahler
Sitting in Copenhagen's grandest hotel, Pamela Anderson is every bit the down-to-earth movie star you'd expect: makeup-free, icy blonde, casually dressed in an oversized button-down shirt. Her only accessories are diamond studs and a matching pendant necklace. But I'm mostly struck by her openness and deep interest in our conversation—she really is the soft-spoken charmer we've gotten to know more over the past few years. (Case in point: When I walk into the room, she's just finished putting together a Pandora charm bracelet as a gift for her mother's birthday. 'I was having a little crafty moment over here,' she says.)
She's in Denmark for Copenhagen Fashion Week as a guest of jewelry brand Pandora. Last night she hosted a celebratory dinner at an art museum; today she's chatting with me as part of her continued partnership with the brand. It's a particularly busy time for the Golden Globe–nominated actor and 2024 Glamour Woman of the Year, who just concluded a press tour for The Naked Gun reboot, finished a run in a Massachusetts production of the play Camino Real just days ago, and seemingly embarked on a new romance.
Obviously, we have questions for Anderson—and she gamely answered them all, letting us in on her go-to jewelry, her Copenhagen recommendations, and one-on-one time with Liam Neeson.
What's a cherished memory you have around jewelry?
Well, I've just started my whole jewelry [journey] in this chapter of my life. It's funny because I look at my mom, who is bedazzled from head to toe. I was like, 'It's a bit much, Mom,' but now I find myself loading up on jewelry. This has been such a wonderful time, promoting these films, and to have the support of Pandora—they're supporting me as an artist too. I'm not just a simple ambassador. We're crossing into all parts of each other's lives. Last night when we had the dinner, the recipes were from my cookbook, and I helped design the tables, and I wrote the poem [printed on each guest's menu]. They seem to appreciate me, all aspects of me, so it's been fun. So this is my most treasured time with jewelry, because I never really had it growing up or when I was younger.
Do you have a piece you find yourself wearing most often?
I like little diamond studs. They go with everything—jeans and a T-shirt or, you know, in the garden.
You're a style icon. How do you put an outfit together?
I really wanted to have fun with The Naked Gun press tour; I wanted to think of it as a story. I usually style myself, but I worked with Bailey Moon and I said, 'Get a lot of really fun stuff and think about French films.' I wanted to have things be cinematic—and a little off, because I never quite nail it. It's just a little something that doesn't quite work, but it's trying. I'm never perfectly polished, even though I try to be. Something always goes wrong, which is, I think, part of my charm. I'm embracing that now. I love putting fun outfits together from head to toe. For this press tour I wanted to add color because I usually wear very easy and basic stuff. It was fun to put some hats on. I love hats, and this is the time to wear one.
How would you describe your personal style?
I'm such a visual person. The first thing I think about when I'm playing a role is the look and the style. Part of your work kind of seeps in. I find when you're preparing for a role, you bring in all this inspiration. You're trying to get close to the project. And then when you're in the middle of the movie or something you're doing—especially in the middle of this Tennessee Williams play I was just doing—you start morphing. It starts becoming your reality instead of something you're trying to get or understand. Even today, I said, 'I'm coming to Copenhagen. Palate cleanse. This is where I'm going to be very minimal again, and go back to my simple colors and everything.' And then I put [an outfit] together, and was wearing this polka-dot skirt and a big hat, and I was like, 'Okay, I'm still in the Tennessee Williams play.' I can't get away from it.
Style is about what you're going through in your life and how you want to present yourself to the world. I'm not a real trend follower, and I'm a little rebellious. Wear what you want. Wear what you want. And jewelry is a good way to express yourself—makeup, no makeup, whatever you want to do. We say more with our presentation than we do with our words—it all kind of goes together. If you want to be in a good mood, wear something fun, put some jewelry on. It all helps. It accentuates your mood. It's not like you look into the future six months and go, 'I'm going to wear that, I'm going to wear that.' You just wake up in the morning and look in your closet and go in your jewelry box, and decide this is what I'm wearing today in spite of how I felt yesterday.' This is a new day. It's a clean slate.
Do you have a go-to date-night outfit?
Date night? My gosh, date night. I don't know. Trench coat, nothing underneath but Pandora. Approachable, fun. No, I'm kidding! [Laughs.]
What was it like to film ?
Every day was fun. It was wild. It was crazy. It was so much fun to make that film, and, you know, we had a good time. I haven't seen the final [cut] yet—I saw it with Liam [Neeson] in an empty theater, just him and I, for the first time. We were just looking at each other like, 'This is crazy.' I want to see it with a group of people. I'll sneak in the back somewhere. We had a lot of fun making it, and the snowman stuff was especially ridiculous and out-there. [Laughs.] And the scat singing. It's fond memories.
Which aspects of your appearance do you appreciate more as you get older?
Maybe not so much appearance—maybe just my mind. I feel more self-accepting and embracing of who I am and what I look like. We're going through a time when people are taking a lot of pictures of themselves, there's a lot of social media, but they don't really look like their social media. I've cracked the code: I actually look in the mirror like I do on social media. Then you don't have to get so depressed. Or [if] I see a bad picture of myself, I don't fret over anything like that anymore.
Maybe it's accentuated or maybe it's not relatable because I've been in this business, but I think people can relate a little bit. They're always doing selfies and putting them on their [feeds], and then they're like, 'Oh, I don't look like that,' or 'I look bad right now,' when really you just look like you! I didn't plan on not wearing makeup as a political statement, but I'm glad it's resonating. I really just did it for me so I could—I had to—get off the crazy train.
What's your favorite thing to do in Copenhagen?
There's great food here, great vegan restaurants. I love Hart Bakery. Last time I was here, I got to see all these sourdough starters, which got me really excited because I'm a big sourdough baker. But, I mean, the architecture—it's a great walking city. I love all the furniture stores; I go in and wish I could buy everything. I love Copenhagen. I love the park. I was really looking forward to coming here because I knew that once I got here, I would have completed a lot—I kept on going, 'Copenhagen is my North Star. Once I get there, I'll have completed the play and the press tour for The Naked Gun, and I'll be in one piece. I made it.'
What's your favorite Pandora piece you've ever worn?
I like my charm bracelet because my sons made it for me, and that's why I thought it was kind of funny that I made one for my mom for her birthday, because it's personal. I love the diamonds too. The reason I love working with Pandora is that they're more accessible. More people can wear Pandora jewelry than a big, fancier, different kind of brand. Plus, it's lab-grown, which is the sustainable part of it. It makes me feel more confident wearing jewelry that has less of an impact on the environment.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
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