'I asked Pamela Anderson what her life looks like now. Her answers surprised me.'

Pamela Anderson is the happiest she's ever been, and she wants everyone to know it.

Over the past few years, the 57-year-old actress, activist and author has moved far beyond the world she used to live in (literally) to become what she would agree is the best version of herself.

In July 2019, Anderson moved back to her family home in Ladysmith, a small town on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, after spending a couple of years living in the South of France. The property belonged to her grandmother, and more than two decades ago, Anderson bought it from her in order to keep it in the family and one day renovate it.

"It was the first place I ever lived," the actress told Mamamia over the phone, explaining that she was born on the six-acre property and her parents both still live there.

"There were so many times that I almost lost it; where I didn't think I could financially afford to keep it. But I hung on to it tooth and nail," she said.

Anderson was famously "discovered" in 1989, when a cameraman at a Canadian football game she was attending broadcast her image on the stadium's large-scale screens.

Her life as a public figure began soon after. A few months later, she landed the cover of Playboy magazine, and in 1990, she became Playmate of the Month in their February issue.

Her acting career and more Playboy covers soon followed.

Pamela Anderson at a charity baseball game in 1992. Image: Getty.

Anderson returned to her hometown because her father Barry had a stroke in 2019.

She had planned on only visiting, but after seeing her father (who later made a full recovery), she realised she needed to be closer to her parents in their older years.

"My father said one of the things he wanted for me was to just do something with this property." 

So she did.

In 2022, Anderson released her memoir, a documentary and starred in her own home renovation show, Pamela's Garden of Eden.

"I thought I was retired but I guess I'm not," she laughed.

The Canadian actress explained how she returned to Vancouver Island "tired, exhausted, and kind of beaten down", but now feels "20 years younger".

"I always kept this place knowing I had [somewhere] to go to, because, you know, that industry, it's a whirlwind. You need to have some grounding," she told me.

"And [this property and project is] what saved me."

After moving from Vancouver to Los Angeles, Anderson landed a minor role on the comedy series Home Improvement. 

After two seasons, she won the role of C.J. Parker on Baywatch — the character she became most well-known for. She played the lifeguard from 1992 to 1997.

Pamela Anderson as C. J. Parker. Image: NBC.

Personally, Anderson has been married five times — famously to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee from 1995 to 1998. They have two sons, Brandon, now 28, and Dylan, now 26.

It's her two boys who insist people have the wrong idea about her.

"My kids are like, 'People don't know you, Mum, they don't understand that you're such a homemaker and such a gardener and all these things,'" she told me.

Speaking of her sons, the actor said: "My kids are my favourite people in the world. Brandon [who appeared on the sequel of MTV's The Hills] is very fiery, he speaks his mind. He's got this wild spirit and is a really fierce businessperson," the 57-year-old said.

"And then Dylan is more quiet, he's my Zen guy. But he's a musician too."

Her sons live in LA and Anderson sees them often.

"We have the greatest relationship," she said. "It's incredible to watch them as young men, and they're stepping in so much to helping design this place. Because really, I'm doing it for them.

"I want to have a place where they can come visit with their families, their kids, and my grandkids," she added.

Pamela Anderson and her sons, Brandon and Dylan. Image: Instagram/@pamelaanderson

Anderson admits that returning to where she grew up has been emotional.

"It's been really triggering," she said.

"I've been all over the world and I always planned on coming back here. But when you actually do, you realise, I had this life," she said, speaking about how different the small town of approximately 8,500 people is compared to LA.

The actress noted the squeaks on the floor are in the exact same spots as they were decades ago.

"It's emotionally loaded from top to bottom. But it's good, it's brave [and] it's very healing," she said.

Despite being hands-on throughout the whole project, the actress has no intentions of watching her home renovation show. In fact, she chooses not to watch anything she's in. "I prefer not to, because the times that I have, I'm just so hard on myself," she told me.

"I just feel like, you're never satisfied it seems. I'm not on social media... I don't want to chase youth, you know? I don't want to chase it. I just want to be myself," she said.

"And I think I'm finally comfortable in my own skin."

Anderson added: "I didn't know that I was going to end up being this happy at this point in my life.

"Because a couple of years ago, it was a different story."

This article was originally written in November 2022, and has since been updated.

Feature image: Getty.

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