Lily James hoped to 'disappear' into Pamela Anderson. Instead, she saw herself
When she agreed to play Pamela Anderson, Lily James expected she'd eventually receive the "Baywatch" star's blessing.
"Pam & Tommy" was, after all, about consent — an exploration of the disturbing privacy violation Anderson and her then-husband, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, suffered when their sex tape was stolen in 1995 and subsequently distributed online.
But as the start of production on the Hulu series approached last spring, inquiries to Anderson remained unanswered. Not only did the 54-year-old choose not to be involved with the miniseries but she apparently opposed its existence altogether. Tabloid reports, citing sources close to the actor, claimed she found the series "very painful," calling it a "cheap knockoff" she'd never watch. A month into production, Courtney Love said on Facebook that the tape had "destroyed my friend Pamela's life," arguing the show was "further causing her complex trauma."
"And shame on lily James," Love added, "whoever the f— she is."
Devastated: That's who James now was. The 32-year-old had spent the better part of a year transforming into the former Playmate, only to be left wondering: By making a TV program about how Anderson was exploited, was James simply adding to the exploitation?
"I'm really sensitive to it," she said, trying to rub out a stain from coffee she'd just spilled on her dress. "I just know that my
