Pamela Anderson's son Brandon Lee on why it was his 'mission' to find the perfect role for her
"The Last Showgirl" will be released in theaters nationwide on Jan. 10, 2025.
Pamela Anderson's son, Brandon Thomas Lee, is opening up about how "The Last Showgirl" "marks the beginning for her" in her career.
In a new interview with Variety, Lee, who Variety says "oversees the Anderson family business affairs" and also acts as an executive producer on the Gia Coppola-directed film, spoke about why the film was right for his mom and why he wanted to be involved.
"My personal mission was to give my mom the opportunities she gave me as a child," the actor and producer said. "She would do anything for me. She showed up and was a very good mother. And at a certain point in your life, you become a protector."
Lee, who is Anderson's eldest son, also spoke about how his mother's career is shifting with her latest project.
"The category she was in before, she was just very objectified and very made for the, you know, her whole career was just positioned towards the male gaze," he told Variety, before expanding on the direction her career is headed.
Why it was important for Lee to find a role for his mom that would 'embolden her'
Over the years, Lee remembers how his mom always told him that she would always "have to prove herself to people." One of the ways that Anderson has reclaimed her story was through her memoir, "LOVE, PAMELA," which was released in January 2023.
That same month, the documentary, "Pamela, A Love Story," was also released. Lee, who served as a producer on the project, said the documentary and book "gave Pamela the opportunity to own her narrative and really present that story to the world."
"The goal of those projects was to get people to understand and get to know Pamela because there was so much misconception around her and who she was," he said. "It was really holding her back in terms of the opportunity she was being presented."
While Lee said that the documentary and memoir led to "big opportunities" for Anderson, he said that it was important for him to help her find the right one that would make her "feel proud" and "shine a light or clarify or embolden her."
"I knew at that point that there was going to be this great shift in her career, because she was no longer this misunderstood or threatening personality," he said.
He added, "She wasn't this sex symbol anymore. She was a human being, and I think people were looking at her in a completely new light. And I feel like that kind of reintroduced her to the world. It feels like everyone's rooting for her."
Why did Lee feel 'The Last Showgirl' script was perfect for his mom?
Lee said that when his mom read Kate Gersten's script for "The Last Showgirl," she was "instantly enamored with Shelly." The film follows Shelly (Anderson), a seasoned showgirl who's forced to find her next act when the Razzle Dazzle, the Las Vegas revue she's headlined for decades, announces its final show.
In past interviews, Anderson has spoken about the connection she had with Shelly and how she brought her own personal experience to the character.
"It spoke to her," said Lee, who added that he instantly knew that the project was "going to be a special product."
"It was such a breath of fresh air, and it was so impactful, and it was something I knew she could deliver on," he added. "And it was so timely, and it just seemed like the stars were aligning a bit on it and how it was playing into this arc of where she was in her career. I knew there were so many real-life inspirations she could take into this."
The film also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Dave Bautista.
When asked about how he felt when Curtis said that she wanted to be a part of "The Last Showgirl" because of his mom, Lee said "it makes me feel incredibly proud."
"Not just of her, but just of everything we've done over the last couple of years," he added.
What does Anderson's Golden Globe nomination mean to Lee?
Since "The Last Showgirl" and ahead of the film's nationwide release on Jan. 10, 2025, Anderson has received a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a drama motion picture for her performance in the film.
Lee said the nomination "means a lot" for his mom and added that "it means the culmination of a very long road and a lot of hard work."
The actor and filmmaker said that it's also been "remarkable" to see "a shift" in the projects she's being presented after "The Last Showgirl."
"The opportunities that she has and where she is going to go from this is fantastic," he said. "I think it pushed people who were curious about what they think she could accomplish."
In terms of what the future holds for his mom and her career, Lee said that he's certain she will continue to thrive.
"It's very safe to say that you'll be seeing her on the big screen for some time," he said.
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