Lily James reveals her Pam & Tommy Pamela Anderson makeup took over three hours every day to apply to transform into the iconic actress. James stars in the series as the Baywatch alum alongside Marvel Cinematic Universe vet Sebastian Stan as Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. Alongside the two, the ensemble roster of Pam & Tommy includes Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman, Taylor Schilling, Pepi Sonuga and Andrew Dice Clay.
Pam & Tommy explores the tumultuous relationship between its titular celebrities and how their marriage was further thrust into the spotlight when an unauthorized sex tape recorded during their honeymoon is released. Development on the miniseries was first announced in 2018 with Rogen and production partner Evan Goldberg attached to develop and produce the project via their Point Grey Pictures banner and James Franco attached to direct and star as Lee. Hulu would later acquire the rights in late 2020 with Franco no longer attached and I, Tonya helmer Craig Gillespie attached to direct with The Founder's Robert D. Siegel penning the series.
Ahead of the show's release, Variety has published an in-depth look into the development of the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy. In the piece, James reveals it took at least three hours a day to apply her Pamela Anderson makeup, requiring her to get to the set as early as 3:30 a.m. to begin the transformation. Co-showrunner Robert D. Siegel said of James' transformation:
“I sometimes will see a picture of Lily in character, and it takes a second to just double-check in my mind that it’s not the real Pam."
Audiences have been taken aback by James and Stan's transformation into their respective personalities for Pam & Tommy since the first images first hit the internet nearly a year ago with the start of filming. Subsequent photos and trailers have only further built anticipation for the series to see how the scandalous story is brought to life on the screen and how its acclaimed stars look as Pam and Tommy. With three-time Emmy winner David Williams, best known for his work on FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and Feud: Bette and Joan, leading the show's makeup department, clearly no expense was spared in recreating the taboo stars.
James' talk of her Pamela Anderson makeup in Pam & Tommy also falls in line with Barry Lee Moe, the show's hair department head's, previous comments on the work, in which he said it took anywhere from 3-5 hours to get her ready. Though James may not have been able to work directly with Anderson for the series, all signs are pointing towards the show's success in capturing its various characters in fascinating lights. Only time will tell when Pam & Tommy premieres on Hulu on February 2.
Source: Variety