Pamela Anderson Returns to the Screen in 'The Last Showgirl' and All-Star Cast
From its emotional storyline to the stacked ensemble cast, here's everything you need to know about Pamela Anderson's upcoming film, The Last Showgirl.
Pamela Anderson is stepping back into the spotlight with The Last Showgirl, a highly anticipated drama that marks a reinvention for the iconic actress. Directed by Gia Coppola (granddaughter of director Francis Ford Coppola), the movie delivers a poignant and layered exploration of resilience and aging, especially as a woman. Anderson, known for her glamorous past with Baywatch and Playboy, sheds her familiar image to embody Shelly, a veteran showgirl grappling with the end of her career, in what many are calling her most vulnerable and compelling performance to date.
Backed by an all-star cast and a few Golden Globe nominations, the film has garnered attention online and will be released in theaters on January 10. Before it hits theaters, L'OFFICIEL explains everything to know about the highly anticipated film.
The Plot
The story centers on Shelly (played by Anderson), a seasoned showgirl in Las Vegas whose life seems to come to a halt when her long-running 30-year show is set to be shut down. Coppola crafts a narrative that shifts between the present and Shelly’s earlier days, showcasing her indefatigable passion for the stage even as she’s relegated to the back of the line in her performances.
Anderson reveals a newfound vulnerability in this film as her character struggles with aging and changing her path while also being a single mother and performer. The heart of the film lies in Shelly’s relationship with her daughter, Hannah (played by Billie Lourd). Hannah harbors resentment toward her mother for prioritizing the stage over their family life. The story takes a dramatic turn when Eddie (played by Dave Bautista), the long-time producer of Shelly's show, Le Razzle Dazzle, announces the closure. For Shelly, whose identity is tied to the stage, the news is devastating. The film follows her as she grapples with the loss of her livelihood, questioning her place in a world that often overlooks women of her age in favor of younger talent. (But not in the body-horror style of The Substance.)
The Cast
The Last Showgirl features standout moments from Jamie Lee Curtis as Annette, a former showgirl turned waitress, and Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song as current dancers navigating their own dreams and challenges. Dave Bautista plays Eddie, the producer of the show whose bombshell announcement sets the story’s emotional arc in motion. Billie Lourd plays Hannah, Anderson's daughter.
Awards Buzz
Pamela Anderson's portrayal of Shelly has already earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama, cementing this as a defining moment in her career. The film’s soundtrack has also made an impact among critics, with Miley Cyrus receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song. Cyrus co-wrote "Beautiful That Way" alongside Andrew Wyatt and Lykke Zachrisson.
