Pamela Anderson Baywatch reboot hopes cool as Rosebush Pruning opens
Pamela Anderson says she has no plans to return to Baywatch while promoting her new dark comedy Rosebush Pruning.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
The Pamela Anderson Baywatch reboot question has a short answer for now: she says no one has asked her to appear, and she has “no plans” to return to the beach drama that made her a global TV name.
Anderson addressed the Fox reboot while speaking with Deadline’s Rosy Cordero as her new film, Rosebush Pruning, opened in select U.S. theaters on July 24. The satirical dark comedy is the latest step in a run of more adventurous roles following her acclaimed turn in 2024’s The Last Showgirl.
Is Pamela Anderson in the Baywatch reboot?
According to Anderson, she has not been contacted about appearing in the new Baywatch. She told Deadline she does not know much about the project, though she said there had been earlier talks involving her sons as producers that did not appear to come together.
Fox’s reboot stars Stephen Amell, Shay Mitchell and Brooks Nader, according to Deadline. Original cast members including David Chokachi and Erika Eleniak are returning to Venice, but Anderson said she is focused elsewhere.
Anderson, who played C.J. Parker on the 1990s series, said the show was a good job, gave her worldwide exposure and was something she enjoyed. She also said that if her children had been involved, she likely would have listened to them about it.
Her current answer is still clear. Anderson told Deadline she wants to keep finding new characters, make bold choices, surprise audiences and surprise herself. She also said she is considering theater again.
What is Rosebush Pruning about?
Rosebush Pruning follows a wealthy American family living in isolated excess in Spain, where relationships, fashion and pop music help feed their search for approval. Deadline reports that the arrival of an outsider exposes old conflict and breaks family bonds.
The film is directed by Karim Aïnouz and written by Efthimis Filippou. Its ensemble includes Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Elle Fanning, Jamie Bell, Elena Anaya and Lukas Gage.
Anderson plays the family’s dead matriarch, whose death involved a pack of wolves, according to Deadline. The character remains present through a nude concrete memorial above an otherwise bare grave near the family home, a place relatives visit in scenes that stir up emotion.
Anderson told Deadline she was drawn to the script, Aïnouz’s work and the cast. She described the project as odd and provocative, and said the film’s harsher moments serve the story rather than feeling gratuitous.
Anderson calls this chapter a second chance
Anderson also reflected on how her career has shifted. She said her early fame through Baywatch, Home Improvement, Barb Wire, reality television and Dancing With the Stars came with attention that made it hard for her to imagine a serious dramatic film career.
She credited playing Roxie in Chicago on Broadway, the Netflix documentary Pamela, a Love Story, made by her son, and Gia Coppola’s persistence on The Last Showgirl with helping audiences and filmmakers see her differently.
Deadline reports Anderson has several completed films ahead, including Kornél Mundruczó’s Place to Be, set for the Venice Film Festival; Michael Cera’s directorial debut Love is Not the Answer; Somedays with Billy Bob Thornton; Sally Potter’s Alma; and Queen of the Falls, in which she plays Guy Pearce’s love interest.
Anderson told Deadline she sees this stretch as a second chance and does not intend to waste it, saying she feels responsible for supporting films through promotion because many people depend on them.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.