As a huge fan of Pamela Anderson, when I first heard that Hulu was making a limited series based on her life during the 90s at the height of her fame, my first thought was “no way.” No way they will pull this off, no way they will cast someone to capture her essence, and certainly no way they will accurately replicate her iconic look.
Even after seeing some of the publicity stills of Downton Abbey alum Lily James, the British actress cast as Pamela, in full makeover, I thought the likeness was decent, but not spot-on.
However, after watching the show, boy, was I forced to eat crow!
The promo photos didn’t do justice to the uncanny resemblance. Not only is Lily James a dead ringer for Pamela Anderson, but she nailed the nuances and subtleties of her expressions, mannerisms, and even voice to a tee. This stunning metamorphosis is the result of James’s discipline and dedication to the role, in conjunction with her glam team’s hard work.
Pam & Tommy, streaming now on Hulu, depicts the real-life scandal that ensued from the theft of actress Pamela Anderson and her then-husband, rocker Tommy Lee’s (Sebastian Stan) honeymoon sex tape. The tape was stolen and leaked to the public through the internet.
For her part, Lily James’ transformation into the blonde bombshell started six months prior to filming with intense, regular workout sessions with a trainer to shed weight, firm up, and gain lean muscle. These sessions had to be done virtually due to Covid and continued throughout the grueling production schedule.
The dramatic change in physique gave James newfound confidence to fully embody Pamela’s Baywatch character (CJ Parker) in beach scenes clad only in the iconic tiny red swimsuit.
From there, it was up to a talented team of hair, makeup, special effects, and wardrobe artists, as well as a dialect coach, to complete the process. Overall, it was a process that took four hours to complete, started at 3:30 am, and ended with filming, which wrapped 18 hours later.
Special-effects makeup designer Jason Collins was tasked with creating James’ prosthetics. Collaborating with makeup department head David Williams, the two compared reference material of both actresses to see what changes were needed.
After considering many options (while striving for authenticity and realism without creating a caricature of Anderson), the duo decided on just two prosthetics: a forehead piece and breast appliances.
The forehead piece fit over James’s naturally full brows, which were also lightened to better conceal them. Custom-made lace brows in a pencil-thin, arched shape, popularized by Anderson in the 90s, were then added. The piece also extended James’s hairline by half an inch to better match Anderson’s.
The breast prosthetic was carefully sculpted to be an exact replica of Anderson’s ample assets and took multiple attempts to perfect. Made of gel-filled silicone, the appliances not only look realistic but move like natural skin and are completely undetectable. New ones were used most every day, and by the end of filming, they had gone through roughly 50.
The final step for the team was to sculpt acrylic dentures which snapped over James’ real teeth and perfectly matched Anderson’s megawatt smile. In addition, slightly pushed James’ lips out, creating the full pout Anderson is known for.
Lead hair designer Barry Lee Moe oversaw recreating Pamela’s famous blonde mane, which he describes as “effortlessly chaotic.” To spare James from having to bleach her brunette hair, and for continuity reasons, he decided to use four custom, handmade, lace-front wigs.
To mimic Pam’s golden tresses, each wig was colored using three-four different shades of blonde with darker roots for depth. Each updo also had a custom nape piece for added realism.
To get Pam’s trademark chunky, 90s layered look, Moe turned to vintage hot rollers to style the wigs.
For added height and volume, he used larger rollers on the top. Once set, he placed the wig under a hairdryer for an hour.
After removing the rollers, he backcombed the roots and smoothed out the top. He then broke up the curls to add more texture while spritzing with hair and glossing sprays.
To achieve Anderson’s beachy waves for her Baywatch look, Moe applied texturizing and heat-protecting spray to dampened hair before drying it with a diffuser. Next, he added definition to the waves using both a 1-inch flat iron and a 1-inch curling iron/wand. Finally, he broke up the texture while adding a finishing texture hairspray and completed the look with Unite’s GO365 Spray for hold.
David Williams designed the corrective, character, and beauty makeup used on James for Pam & Tommy.
James was regularly spray-tanned, which was tweaked and maintained to give her a sun-kissed glow. Once the prosthetics and wig cap were in place, it was time to start painting. That process started with contouring James’ face and body using corrective highlight and shadow techniques.
To remain authentic to 90s trends, Williams decided to use more natural brown-based reds, pinks, and burgundy from that period. A cream blush in a dusty rose shade added a natural glow to the cheeks.
When Pam’s sultry, smoky eyes were called for, he chose Chanel and Tom Ford eyeshadow quads in deep, natural browns, or Urban Decay’s Naked3 palette with a smudged black eyeliner from Make Up for Ever. Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Perfect Brow pencil was used to gently outline where the lace brows would be placed. Two sets of wispy Ardell lashes finished the smoky eye look.
To recreate Pam’s famously overlined 90s pout, Williams chose a MAC lip liner in Spice to slightly overdraw James’ lip line. He then filled the lips in with natural, beige, and pink shades from Charlotte Tilbury and Tom Ford, leaving the liner faintly visible. Blue contact lenses that matched Anderson’s eye color completed the mind-blowing transformation.
Pamela Anderson’s fame is currently experiencing a resurgence due to Pam & Tommy. She has an upcoming stint as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway, as well as a tell-all Netflix documentary about her life.
She has also become an unlikely fashion icon to Gen Z, who seem to be obsessed with all things 90s. Dubbed #Pamcore on TikTok, Anderson’s 90s fashion and beauty aesthetic is making a comeback among zoomers who are recreating many of her most iconic looks on the social media platform or enjoying filters that give them similar facial features.
In fact, internet searches for Anderson’s signature cut-out dresses, black leather corset, and red bathing suit are all way up with the hashtag #pamelaanderson getting 130 million views. Seems a whole new generation is appreciating the influence of a true fashion and beauty icon.
These are the products that transformed Lily James into Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy
For Pam’s Trademark Hair:
- ByBalissPro Nano Titanium Professional 20- Roller Set
- Ionic Soft Bonnet Dryer
- Unite Session-Max Extra Strong Spray
- Unite 7Seconds Glossing Spray
For Pam’s Beachy Baywatch Hair:
- Unite Beach Day Texturizing Spray
- Unite Blonda Oil
- GHD Platinum + Pro Performance Styler
- Hot Tools 24K Gold 1 Inch Curling Iron
- Unite Texturiza Dry Finishing Spray
- Unite Go365 Hairspray
For Pam’s Makeup Looks:
Contour & Cheeks
- Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation
- Stila Convertible Color in Peony & Petunia
Eyes
- Tom Ford Eye Color Quad
- Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette
- Make Up Forever Aqua Resist Color Pencil in Ebony
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil
- Ardell Lashes – Wispies Black
Lips
- MAC Lip Pencil in Spice
- Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick in Forbidden Pink
- Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
- Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Rose
For questions, concerns, or article ideas, feel free to reach out to our eCosmetics Beauty Editor directly at beauty@ecosmetics.com
