Can Las Vegas be the next Hollywood?

That's one of several questions I asked Pamela Anderson, who, in early 2024 filmed The Last Showgirl in Las Vegas in 18 days.

In theaters now, The Last Showgirl is based on the closing of Jubilee at Bally's in 2016.

Anderson plays the movie's main character, Shelly, a Las Vegas showgirl who learns her show has been canceled.

It's a role that director Gia Coppola wanted her to play after seeing the Baywatch actress in her 2023 Netflix documentary, Pamela, A Love Story.

Anderson's son co-produced the documentary, and it was through him that Coppola finally got the script in front of Anderson.

I recently spoke with the actress at a screening of The Last Showgirl at the Beverly Theater in Downtown Las Vegas.

♪♪♪ This character in what ways, if any, did you identify with her?

-Oh, my goodness, with so much of it.

I mean, there's definitely parallels, but that was just the jumping off point.

I wanted to transform and create a character.

And, you know, it was a wonderful story and great director.

It's all about the director and the actor and how we can collaborate.

And so it was really fun to, you know, create Shelly with Gia.

-And will you tell me about the difference between this director versus, you know, the Baywatch director that told you, Just pretend like it's real.

-Everyone pretend it's real... Action.

That was-- I hate to-- I don't want to-- I loved Baywatch , and I took it very seriously.

People don't want to understand that, but I did.

I've always been interested in the craft of acting.

I didn't know where to start.

I remember taking classes, and then I've been taking private lessons since I was on Broadway and then doing this movie.

And I just did Naked Gun and another film with Karim Ainouz, this incredible film, Rosebush Pruning.

And I've-- every little bit has taught me something.

I mean, even Barb Wire taught me something.

It just, it's just so many pieces of the puzzle you have to put together for yourself.

And I know I took a real unorthodox route and a long, kind of windy road to get here.

And everybody does it different, but no regrets.

-What were your preparations like for this film?

-Boy.

Well, I have a great acting teacher, Ivana Chubbuck, and we worked for months on this movie.

And like I said, I prepared for this like I would a play.

I knew all the words, obviously, inside out and backwards before I even got to Las Vegas.

(male voice) You have an act prepared?

-I do.

I'm a dancer.

-Music?

-Yeah.

I gave it to the maestro.

But I also wanted to be open enough and bring enough experience.

I brought all of my life experience to the role and let Gia just kind of have her way with me.

I mean, she was the one who-- I knew when she said she had it, she had it.

And we didn't have many takes.

We shot on film.

We shot in 18 days.

So it was-- the stakes were high, which is, I think that's, that's my favorite kind of life.

-From what I've read, you had tea with former showgirls here in Las Vegas?

What was that like?

What did they tell you?

-Oh, well, yes, I met with a lot of Jubilee dancers, and I had them over for tea at my house.

I stayed at my ex-husband's house.

I actually-- -Here in Las Vegas?

-So I just called him and said, I'm staying at the house while I'm shooting the film.

So I had them come over, and I made tea for everybody.

And we talked about different stories and some do's and don'ts and some things that they were really, was really important to them, that showgirls are not burlesque performers, for instance.

And I just took a lot of their, so much pride and still how they held themselves in their everyday life, just like dancers.

And obviously, showgirls, they probably have had a lot of dance experience in their life and then maybe just didn't make it as a ballerina, but maybe wanted to be a showgirl, maybe too tall.

And it was interesting to hear the stories of how they became showgirls and then what did they do after their career.

So those were questions I was asking.

-What kind of responsibility did you feel to represent them in what way, accurately?

-Well, I was nervous.

I mean, I really wanted to show the film here.

It was really important to me to make sure we were doing all these screenings all over the world.

I said, What about Vegas?

We have to show it at Vegas before it comes out and to show our respect for the Vegas community and everybody that helped us.

And that's what I wanted, to make them proud.

They said today that they were very proud and very happy, a lot of tears, and that's what you want.

-So 18 days in Las Vegas, that's a short time.

But you have a long history here.

Do you have a favorite memory?

-I have a lot of mixed emotions, like we all do when it comes to Las Vegas, but no regrets.

And I just, I love the nostalgia.

I mean, I think that a lot of culture came from here, the '60s, I thought, with music and, you know, the Rat Pack and all those times.

I was always really fascinated with those times.

And I feel like that was American culture at that time.

So Vegas really is just loaded with stories and people coming here for all over the world-- from all over the world, because it's magnetic.

There's something drawing you here.

It's seductive, and I thought that was why Vegas was such a beautiful character in the movie as well.

It's just so full of life, and you just, everywhere you turn is a picture.

-And what about the potential for Las Vegas to become a Hollywood 2.0, as Mark Wahlberg would like it to be?

-Well, I think Vegas is really kind of untapped when it comes to filmmaking.

And we were able to, you know, shoot in places that no one's seen, like Vegas during the day is really interesting.

I say Vegas during the day is like a woman without makeup.

It's a, it's approachable, it's vulnerable, but it's also real.

It's just something very interesting about it.

And so that was exciting to be able to share that in this film as well.

And I mean, just the deserts.

You know, I love road trips, and I drove from Vancouver to Las Vegas, so from the north, and it's like showing up on the moon.

I mean, the landscapes are so beautiful.

-You drove here?

-Well, I didn't drive myself.

I was a passenger, but we did a road trip.

You don't want me driving.

But it was just gorgeous.

-When was this?

-To get here to shoot the film from Vancouver, because-- -I thought you took a plane.

-No, not today.

Not today, no, when I shot the film.

Sorry, I'm all over the place.

But I just-- and to go home every night to those really beautiful, fiery sunsets.

I mean, there's really beautiful-- the landscapes here are just gorgeous.

-And then when you look at this film and you take yourself back to when you made the documentary a couple years ago, I think a lot of Americans got to know you then, and I, at least, wonder, are you proud of yourself?

-I just feel like I've just scratched the surface.

I feel like I'm just starting.

I feel like my career is just starting right now, that I had to do a lot of-- I had to learn a lot about myself, you know, in order to be able to play a role like this.

So I'm really excited about doing more, and I never thought it would happen, which makes it even more sweet.

It makes it more sweet when it's unexpected.

So it's exciting that everyone's really resonating with the film, that I'm, I'm being, you know, recognized for something.

I don't know.

It just feels-- it's so, it's surreal.

It's surreal, but it's also very exciting and also very scary.

But I like that.

-What's scary about it, and what did you learn about yourself?

-Oh, my gosh.

Well, I mean, scary things are always interesting to explore.

I think a lot of it just comes from insecurity, but I always knew that I was capable of more than I was doing.

But I didn't think-- I didn't know how I would get the opportunity to share that.

And so that's what was wonderful about Gia, to have the vision, to be able to see the documentary and be able to, you know, weed through the nonsense and see a person aching to express herself as an artist that necessarily-- that I didn't think it was going to happen.

And it did.

So it's never too late.

-And she tracked you down?

-And she tracked me down through my son.

I mean, everyone gets to me through my son.

Brandon is the gatekeeper.

-And his role in your future?

-Brandon is, he's a wonderful producer.

He's a great actor, and, you know, Dylan's a great musician.

They have a lot of businesses.

We do a lot of things together, but I'm just, I love watching them, you know, create these businesses.

And they just say to me, Mom, all you need to do is be you.

You've earned it.

You deserve it.

And we just want to create a space where you can explore who you are and see what you're made of.

Have the freedom now.

We're grown and, you know, and I-- It's just, I have the time now and I have to focus, so it's exciting.

-Pamela Anderson, thank you for your time.

-Thank you.

♪♪♪ -Anderson's portrayal of Shelly earned her a Golden Globe nomination.