Pam & Tommy - What We Know So Far
Theirs was a love that shaped discourse around celebrity privacy for ages.
The upcoming miniseries "Pam & Tommy" will address the legal and media firestorm that ensued when then-married Playboy Playmate and "Baywatch" actress Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee became the subjects of worldwide exposure after a disgruntled former employee stole their safe and distributed the sex tape he found inside on the internet without their permission. It was perhaps the earliest confluence of viral internet videos and celebrity sex tapes. Lee and Anderson ultimately signed a deal with Vivid Entertainment to distribute DVDs and videotapes of the movie to avoid its mass sale on the black market.
How do Lee and Anderson feel about "Pam & Tommy"? According to at least one friend of Anderson's, Courtney Love, Anderson isn't happy about it. Love accused the project of "further causing" Anderson "complex trauma" in a now-deleted Facebook post, adding, "It destroyed my friend Pamela's life. Utterly," according to Vanity Fair. With all that drama in mind, the miniseries promises to be as controversial as the two stars it features. Here's everything we know about the Hulu project so far.
When will Pam & Tommy be released?
The miniseries has been shooting since April, and production is still ongoing, judging from recent shots of James dressed up in Anderson's iconic red Baywatch swimsuit published by The Daily Mail on May 14. Sebastian Stan also recently posted video footage to his Instagram of him playing with drumsticks, indicating that he's been practicing so he'll be able to drum believably as Mr. Lee. With shooting unlikely to wrap before the end of the month, and with post-production factored in, it's unlikely we'll see "Pam & Tommy" before the fall, though 2022 remains a stronger possibility. No official release date has been announced yet.
Hulu has exclusive broadcast rights for "Pam & Tommy," according to Deadline. The miniseries will run for eight episodes, according to MovieWeb. There, is, however, no word as to how the COVID-19 pandemic might effect filming as of this juncture though, reassuringly, no production delays seem imminent.
Who's been cast in Pam & Tommy?
As you can see from the posted promotional images and material, Sebastian Stan will portray Tommy Lee opposite Lily James as Pamela Anderson. Series co-producer Seth Rogan will play Rand Gauthier, the tape-snagging electrician. According to Cosmopolitan UK, Nick Offerman will play Milton "Uncle Miltie" Ingley, a porn studio owner who partners with Gauthier to distribute the tape, and Taylor Schilling will portray Erica, Rand's ex-wife (professionally known in the pornography world as actress Erica Boyer, according to Rolling Stone).
According to Deadline, Pepi Sonuga ("Ash vs. Evil Dead") will portray Anderson's protective best friend, Melanie, and infamous comic Andrew "Dice" Clay will portray a character known as Butchie, referred to in the logline published by Deadline as "a mob guy but not a 'Mob Guy.'"
Also according to Deadline, Spenser Granes will play Steve Fasanella, one of Uncle Miltie's underlings, and Gail Chwatsky, Anderson's publicist, will be portrayed by Mozhan Marnò.
What will Pam & Tommy be about?
As you might have guessed from the description of the scandal above, the movie will primarily focus on the infamous sex tape scandal, and likely the lawsuit against the tape's distribution company that followed, which Lee and Anderson settled out of court. Anderson and Lee's relationship will likely be contrasted with that of Boyer and Gauthier, and there's no word if the series will cover Anderson and Lee's eventual divorce. The miniseries is supposed to have a comedic bent, according to the show's logline, so don't come to the show looking for a serious courtroom drama.
There's a lot of narrative gristle to chew on. The tape emerged after an electrician working on the couple's home stole the it in retaliation after Lee allegedly pointed a gun at him, demanding he leave the couple's property before allegedly paying the money owed to him for his work and without allowing him to collect his tools. The electrician had porn studio connections, having acted in the films before, and had an ex-wife and multiple girlfriends in the industry (according to Elle Australia).
The rest is legal and internet history, and it's likely "Pam & Tommy" will replay it all in lurid HD.