Lily James And Sebastian Stan Channel Pam & Tommy In A New Trailer
With the release of prestige television limited series like "American Crime Story: Impeachment," "Waco," and "Manhunt: Unabomber," audiences and production companies alike seem to be enthralled by the 1990s. These dramatic retellings of culturally impactful events that are now decades old offer an opportunity for creatives to re-examine what made them so impactful in the first place and why they continue to hold a place of notoriety within the zeitgeist.
Another major cultural event — the 1995 Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex tape scandal — is coming soon to TV screens. The celebrity couple's intimate tape is generally regarded as the one that kickstarted a phenomenon wherein the public was deeply interested in this particular aspect of famous people's private lives (via Rolling Stone). "Pam and Tommy," the new eight-episode docudrama from Hulu centered around the theft and release of this sex tape, will hit Hulu on February 2.
The Hulu limited series brings to life the history of this '90s scandal. Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee meet at a New Years Party in 1994 and get married 96 hours later. In 1995, a former employee named Rand Gauthier steals a sex tape the couple made on their honeymoon as revenge for them stiffing him on $20,000 they owed for renovations (via Elle). Gauthier, a former adult film actor, used his connections to make copies of the video and sell it on the internet.
News of the project went wide in December 2020 (via Deadline), with Lily James, Sebastian Stan, and Seth Rogen announced as members of the lead cast. "Pam & Tommy" also stars Nick Offerman, Taylor Schilling, Andrew Dice Clay, and Mike Seely as Hugh Hefner. Filming on the project ran from April to July 2021, with Rogen sharing first-look photos from the production on Instagram in May 2021. A teaser for "Pam & Tommy" was released in November 2021 (via Variety). Now, just a few months later, we're finally getting a closer look at the Craig Gillespie-directed series ahead of its Hulu debut.
The Pam & Tommy cast brings a shocking true story to life
In the "Pam & Tommy" official trailer, Lily James makes a memorable appearance in a number of Pamela Anderson's most iconic '90s outfits, including the red bathing suit made famous by her career-defining role on "Baywatch." There are multiple scenes of Sebastian Stan at a drum kit, showing him in the element as Tommy Lee, the drummer for the monster rock band Mötley Crüe.
On top of the incredible physical resemblance of James and Stan as Anderson and Lee, respectively, there is dialogue highlighted in the trailer that sets the stage for the underlying themes of the series. First, when Seth Rogen's Gauthier and Nick Offerman's Uncle Miltie are watching the tape for the first time, Miltie says, "This is so private. It's like we're seeing something we are not supposed to be seeing." This phrase echoes the thoughts of many who watched, exploring the reasoning for the spark of fascination. Similarly, there is a poignant moment where James' Pamela implores Tommy to understand that the sex tape release is worse for her, and when Lee crudely retorts it's just as bad for him, there is a nod toward the limited series' possible commentary on the gender bias and the misinterpretation of Anderson's star persona.
Director Craig Gillespie spoke about casting the roles in "Pam and Tommy" in an interview with Variety. He raved about Stan and Lily James' eagerness to embody the characters both physically and in their performance. He called the series a "wild, shocking, painfully sad ride."
"Pam & Tommy" premieres on Hulu on Wednesday, February 2.