Pamela Anderson鈥檚 Hollywood comeback hit a new high Monday when the Canadian actress picked up her first-ever Golden Globe nomination.
The B.C. native is up for best actress in a dramatic film for her starring turn in 鈥淭he Last Showgirl,鈥� about a seasoned Las Vegas performer struggling to figure out her next act in life when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.
鈥淭his is a tiny little film that got me out of my garden. I was making pickles and jam. I didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 be doing more in this industry,鈥� Anderson said.
鈥淚 was a little disappointed in myself and was kind of reassessing some of my life choices.
鈥淏ut then this came up and I read it and I could hear her voice in my head, I could see it already and I just thought, 鈥楾his is life or death. I have to do this film.鈥�
鈥淭his is that feeling that people get when they respond to material and they have to do it. Of course, wasn鈥檛 thinking about any of this. I was just thinking 鈥業 need some place to put my entire life.鈥� And that was this film, all my life experience from childhood until now.鈥�
The role marked a return to the cinematic spotlight for Anderson, who rose to fame in the late 鈥�80s as a model and found global stardom as the breakout star of 1990s TV staple 鈥淏aywatch.鈥� After a spotty acting record that included the critically panned 鈥淏arbed Wire鈥� and tabloid frenzy surrounding her tumultuous relationship with M枚tley Cr眉e drummer Tommy Lee, Anderson became better known for her animal-rights activism.
She reclaimed her narrative with a candid 2023 Netflix documentary 鈥淧amela: A Love Story鈥� and memoir, 鈥淟ove, Pamela,鈥� part of a career renaissance that included her Broadway debut in 2022鈥檚 revival of 鈥淐hicago鈥� and the renovation show 鈥淧amela鈥檚 Garden of Eden.鈥�
Anderson told the Canadian Press last year that 鈥淕arden of Eden鈥� sparked a creative surge that marked 鈥渢he beginning of my re-empowerment.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 all worked out,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 know everything is happening for a reason. There鈥檚 a lot of things going on. And I鈥檓 happy.鈥�
She was among several Canadians to pick up Golden Globe nominations, including another first-timer 鈥� Vancouver鈥檚 Gabriel LaBelle who鈥檚 up for best actor in a motion picture comedy for his role in Jason Reitman鈥檚 鈥淪aturday Night,鈥� loosely based on the real-life cast and crew behind the inaugural episode of 鈥淪aturday Night Live.鈥�
LaBelle plays a young Lorne Michaels who grapples with countless challenges while steering a troupe of untested comedians and writers in the 90 minutes leading up to the sketch comedy鈥檚 debut in 1975.
Canadian celebrity chef-turned actor Matty Matheson is part of the team nominated for best TV comedy for Disney Plus鈥� 鈥淭he Bear,鈥� which led all TV nominations with five. Matheson also co-wrote an episode this season and stars in the culinary dramedy as hapless-but-lovable handyman Neil Fak.
The Selena Gomez-starring musical 鈥淓milia Perez鈥� led all film bids with 10.
Meanwhile, Hamilton-born Martin Short has snagged his fourth nomination for playing struggling theatre director and podcast host Oliver Putnam in Disney Plus鈥� 鈥淥nly Murders in the Building.鈥�
Quebec filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is up for best drama film for his sci-fi sequel 鈥淒une: Part Two,鈥� which sees Timoth茅e Chalamet鈥檚 Paul Atreides joins forces with Zendaya鈥檚 Chani and the Fremen to seek revenge against those who destroyed his family.
Vancouver鈥檚 Ryan Reynolds and Montreal鈥檚 Shawn Levy earned a nomination for their Marvel film 鈥淒eadpool & Wolverine鈥� in a relatively new category for the especially big ticketsellers called cinematic and box office achievement
The third film in the 鈥淒eadpool鈥� franchise sees Reynolds, who co-wrote the film, suit up again as the titular hero, this time teaming up with Hugh Jackman in his long-awaited return as iconic X-Men superhero Wolverine.
Levy, the film鈥檚 director, told the Canadian Press earlier this year that the film was fuelled by his friendship and Canadian connection with Reynolds.
鈥淚 hate to say it, but I do think our Canadianness is part of (our connection),鈥� said Levy, who鈥檚 helmed family comedies including 2006鈥檚 鈥淣ight at the Museum鈥� and produced the sci-fi behemoth 鈥淪tranger Things鈥� for Netflix.
鈥淲e really love building movies designed for audience joy. We also are grinders. We love to work hard.鈥�
Also among the Canadian nominees is Toronto screenwriter Graham Yost, who鈥檚 up for best TV drama as the executive producer of the Apple TV Plus spy thriller series 鈥淪low Horses.鈥�
The 82nd Golden Globes will be hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser on Jan. 5, 2025, airing live on Citytv.
