Pamela Anderson bows at TIFF for ‘The Last Showgirl’

Pamela Anderson attends the premiere of ‘The Last Showgirl’ during the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024 at the Princess of Wales Theater in Toronto. Photo credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

The Toronto International Film Festival has hosted many comeback stories over the years. Brendan Fraser was lauded for his performance at the fest two years ago the whale. This year’s unlikely comeback story could be Pamela Anderson.

On Friday, Gia Coppola premiered her film The Last ShowgirlAn indie drama starring Anderson as an aging Las Vegas showgirl. Shelly (Anderson) is the long-running star of the Casino Dance Show, a cast of scantily clad, feather-adorned women who have seen better days. As attendance dwindles, the show’s stage manager (Dave Bautista) announces that they will soon be giving their last performance, leaving Shelly – who believes wholeheartedly in the show – pondering her choices.

The film, which went on sale in Toronto, garnered mixed reviews but warm applause for the 57-year-old Anderson.

“I’ve been preparing for this role my whole life,” Anderson told the crowd at the Princess of Wales Theater after the premiere.

For Anderson, whose most notable credits include Baywatch And BoratAppreciating the festival was a novel experience. Even just getting like a script The Last Showgirl It was something new for him.

“This is the first time I read a good script, first of all. I’ve never had a script that was coherent,” Anderson said. “I was like: I’m the only one who can do this. I’ve never felt so strongly about anything.”

“The Last Showgirl” extends a run of success for the former Playboy playmate that includes her 2023 memoir “Love, Pamela” and the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary Pamela, a love story. It shares some of the same themes as another TIFF entry, the body horror film substance. The film, starring Demi Moore, similarly grapples with fears for female entertainers.

Jamie Lee Curtis, who co-stars as a very bronze casino waitress The Last ShowgirlHe became emotional discussing his character.

“I’m just a product of that same reality,” Curtis said. “You know who Annette is. Each of you knows an Annette. It’s a film about dreams and chasing your dreams. But of course, dreams do indeed become (experienced) harsh reality. And for women, it’s a really harsh reality that men don’t have.”

Curtis then added with a smile, “And a spray tan helps.”