Lily James has opened up about what it was like to film her upcoming series Pam & Tommy, revealing that the intense transformation process into nineties icon Pamela Anderson was "liberating."
Speaking in a cover star interview with Porter magazine, Lily got real about how she was transformed into Pamela for the much-anticipated series. "Slowly, our incredible team found a balance where I resembled Pamela but also felt like I could act through it," the Pursuit of Love actor explained, noting that she got up at 3am every day for a four hour makeup session which involved putting on a chest plate, fake tan and a wig.
"I've never done anything where I look very different from myself before. And I'd really like to continue in this vein, because I felt there was something very freeing and liberating in it," she continued. "There was a bravery that came from that. A courage that came from… disappearing."
But the hours-long transformation to become the Baywatch star started long before Lily stepped on set, with the 32-year-old admitting she's "never worked so hard" to prepare for a role. "I read the books [Anderson] has written, I read her poetry, I can parrot along to all her interviews," she added.
Despite the intense makeup sessions and lengthy preparations, Lily pointed out that she actually missed playing Pamela when filming came to an end. "It was like being stripped of all these superpowers," she admitted. "I'd really enjoyed the physicality and the sensuality, even down to the long fingernails. There was just so much character to hold on to — it was really thrilling."
Jade Biggs (she/her) is Cosmopolitan UK's Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. She also works on first-person features and investigative long-reads, taking a deep-dive into mental health, celebrity culture and women's rights. Jade has been a journalist and content writer for ten years, and has interviewed leading researchers and doctors, high-profile influencers and fitness experts. She is a cat mum to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram or Twitter.
