(L to R) Jamie Lee Curtis and Pamela Anderson star in ‘The Last Showgirl’.
Opening in theaters in wide release on January 10th is the new film from director Gia Coppola (‘Palo Alto’) entitled ‘The Last Showgirl’, which stars Golden Globe nominee Pamela Anderson (‘Baywatch’), Dave Bautista (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’), Brenda Song (‘The Social Network’), Kiernan Shipka (‘Red One’), Billie Lourd (‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’), and Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis about their work on ‘The Last Showgirl’, Anderson’s first reaction to the screenplay, how she related to her character, why Curtis wanted to work with Anderson and their characters’ friendship, and working with director Gia Coppola.
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Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
Moviefone: To begin with, Pamela, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and your approach to playing Shelly? Did you relate to the character right away?
Pamela Anderson: Well, once the script finally found me through a few obstacles, I just fell in love with it. When I read it, I could hear the voice already, I could see it so clearly, I just couldn’t wait to get started. I had happy feet. I was just like; I must get started. I got to get that first scene done, what do you call it, “in the can”. Once it was there, we hit the ground running and everyone jumped in headfirst. But I was so appreciative because I’ve always dreamt of, I always wanted to do something good. I want my legacy to be something I’m proud of and I’ve always wanted to make my family and my kids proud. I remember seeing my kid’s front row when I played Roxie in ‘Chicago’ on Broadway on the opening night and when the lights came up and they were there, it was so amazing to see them proud of me. So same thing with this movie.
Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
MF: Jamie Lee, can you talk about the friendship between Annette and Shelly, and what it was like for you creating that relationship with Pamela on screen?
Jamie Lee Curtis: Instantaneous. I signed up to do the movie because Pamela was going to be in it. We’ve never met, we don’t know each other, but I knew who she was. My female friendships are incredibly important to me, and so this is just a beautiful extension of a female friendship. This is that ride-or-die bestie that have been through everything together and we don’t need to have known each other because we know each other because women know each other because we’ve all been there, we’ve all done it. So, I’m just thrilled to have been able to meet her and fall in love with her the way that we have done so on film.
Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
MF: Jamie Lee, has the friendship between you and Pamela that you created for this movie continued after filming was completed?
JLC: Oh, absolutely. Are you kidding? That’s not fake. We may not see each other a lot. Pamela lives in Vancouver. I live in Los Angeles. We’re both working all the time now. Chances are we aren’t going to be having sleepovers, but we will now forever be in each other’s hearts for sure.
‘The Last Showgirl’ director Gia Coppola.
MF: Pamela, what was it like collaborating with director Gia Coppola on set?
PA: Oh, she’s a wonderful director. She’s very soft-spoken, but very decisive. You feel completely safe with her. Like I said, this is a new world for me, these are all new feelings that I’m savoring, and she’s such a big part of that. But she’s sneaky because she’s very kind and sweet but then when she’s on set, she has her own video monitor, and she doesn’t have everybody chiming in.
Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
MF: Finally, Pamela, can you talk about the challenges of shooting this movie in only 18 days in Las Vegas?
PA: It was challenging, fun and exciting, and that’s how you want it. You want it to break you down and find things that you never knew existed, and it takes a challenge like that. The whole thing was just 18 days, I know movies take longer than that, but I don’t really have that experience, so I just shot eight or nine scenes a day. I needed to be ready when I got there.
The Last Showgirl, a poignant film of resilience, rhinestones and feathers, stars Pamela Anderson as Shelly, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when… Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘The Last Showgirl’?
After a successful thirty-year run, a seasoned showgirl (Pamela Anderson) must plan her future after the show closes abruptly.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Last Showgirl’?
- Pamela Anderson as Shelly
- Jamie Lee Curtis as Annette
- Dave Bautista as Eddie
- Brenda Song as Mary-Anne
- Kiernan Shipka as Jodie
- Billie Lourd as Hannah
- Jason Schwartzman as a director
Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
Movies Directed By Gia Coppola:
Buy Tickets: ‘The Last Showgirl’ Movie Showtimes
Buy Pamela Anderson Movies on Amazon