Pamela Anderson Has Her First Big Dramatic Role In The Last Showgirl
Pamela Anderson is making something of a comeback, with her recent Netflix documentary Pamela: A Love Story getting positive buzz, and now her first dramatic role in the film The Last Showgirl, which releases today in the UK.
Nominated at the Golden Globes, it stars the former Baywatch actress as a successful showgirl whose long-running show is suddenly forced to close. The movie follows her as she tries to move on and plan her future, despite longing for the past. Here’s everything you need to know…
What is The Last Showgirl about?
The Last Showgirl debuted back in September at the Toronto International Film Festival, receiving good reviews from critics, with Anderson receiving particular praise. Her character, Shelly Gardner, is a seasoned showgirl with a decades-long career in Las Vegas. But after 30 years, she’s told that the show is now closing and that she will be out of a job. While, of course, the film is about the showgirl, it’s also a commentary on how Las Vegas and other entertainment centres around the world have struggled in the last few years as prices rise, interest wanes, and shows like Shelly’s go out of fashion. As someone who’s been so tied to her career for so long, Shelly has let her job as a dancer take over her life and now finds herself having difficulty moving on.
The showgirl is stuck in a dilemma, figuring out if she can pursue another dancing gig or if she may have to uproot herself entirely. But despite the world changing around her, and quickly, Shelly seems to be retreating further and further into the past, believing she can recapture days gone by. We also see her interactions with the characters around her, including Eddie (Dave Bautista), the producer of her revue show, as well as Anette (Jamie Lee Curtis) Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka), who are other showgirls. Meanwhile, Shelly also has to reckon with her relationship with her estranged daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd) who she sidelined to focus on her career.
When does The Last Showgirl release?
The film releases in the UK today for a limited run in cinemas and will eventually hit streaming later this year, but no definitive release date nor a platform has been announced yet. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer and get a glimpse of Pamela Anderson’s performance below.
