Pamela Anderson says making The Last Showgirl felt transformative and healing. She connected with the film’s fictional showgirl, Shelly, but described turning that connection into a character—not simply playing herself. Her account is about what the creative process meant to her, not evidence that acting is a clinical treatment.
What Anderson meant by “healing”
At the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, Anderson told TheWrap that making the film was transformative and added, “And it was very healing.” She also said she had returned to acting school for the role. TheWrap’s September 9, 2024 interview captures her description of that experience.
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In a later interview with Sky News, Anderson put the idea more broadly: “there’s nothing like an art project to express yourself and heal parts of yourself.” That is her personal perspective on creative work; it does not establish a medical effect for her or for other people. Sky News reported the interview on February 22, 2025.
Why Shelly resonated with her
Anderson plays Shelly, a veteran Las Vegas showgirl whose revue is ending after decades. As Shelly faces the possibility of what comes next, the role touches on themes Anderson recognized. She told PBS that the screenplay had parallels with her own life, while stressing her intention: “I wanted to transform and create a character.” Shelly is a fictional person, not a substitute for Anderson’s autobiography.
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Director Gia Coppola said Anderson’s resemblance to Shelly helped make the casting compelling, while the differences between them offered an acting challenge. Coppola also described a collaborative process in which Anderson could draw on life experience and bring her intelligence and artistic interests to the role. GMA’s January 8, 2025 report includes Coppola’s account.
How Anderson prepared for the role
Anderson said she spent months working with acting teacher Ivana Chubbuck, returned to acting school, and learned the script thoroughly before arriving in Las Vegas. She brought her experience to the part while remaining open to Coppola’s direction. The preparation matters to her account: she described the film’s meaning as something she pursued through deliberate study and creative work.
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The film’s setting and story
Written by Kate Gersten and directed by Coppola, The Last Showgirl follows Shelly as the long-running revue where she performs comes to an end. PBS Nevada Week reports that the film was shot in Las Vegas in 18 days and that its story was based on the 2016 closure of Jubilee at Bally’s. PBS Nevada Week’s interview and transcript provide the production and story context.
Co-star Jamie Lee Curtis described the film as being about “resilience, particularly, the resilience of women.” Coppola said its women remain optimistic and find joy despite life’s hurdles. Those are the filmmakers’ and cast’s interpretations of the story; Anderson’s own explanation of healing remains personal rather than a claim about a universal outcome.
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