She became one of the world's most recognisable women in her 20s.

But some of Pamela Anderson’s most interesting firsts came decades later.

At 54, she made her Broadway debut. At 57, she received her first Golden Globe nomination. Today, at 59, she is still giving us reasons to look again.

Welcome to Episode 8 of The Reinvention Series.

I’m Wanda, founder of Estetika. I started my own ecommerce business at 50, and now, at 54, I’m drawn to women whose stories remind us how much can still be ahead.

Pamela’s recent chapter is one of those stories.

Looking beyond the image

Most of us remember the red swimsuit, the blonde hair and the beach.

For years, Pamela Anderson’s public image was so familiar that it was easy to assume we knew the woman behind it. The headlines kept coming, often leaving little room for her own perspective.

Then came opportunities to hear from her directly.

In 2023, she released her memoir, Love, Pamela, alongside the Netflix documentary Pamela, a love story. Through her writing, personal diaries and home videos, she shared her life in her own words.

For me, that is a meaningful part of reinvention: deciding how you want to tell your story, even when other people think they already know it.

A Broadway debut at 54

In April 2022, Pamela stepped onto Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago.

It was her first Broadway role, with singing, dancing and live performance at its centre. After decades in entertainment, she was still willing to take on something new.

I find that encouraging. Experience can give us a foundation without making the next step feel entirely comfortable. There is still room to learn, stretch and surprise ourselves.

Being recognised in a new way

Her performance in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl brought another first: a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama.

Pamela was 57.

The film follows a longtime Las Vegas showgirl facing an uncertain future when her show closes. It gave Pamela a role through which audiences could see another side of her work.

That milestone is one reason I wanted to feature her. A career can hold new beginnings long after the world has decided what someone is known for.

Beauty on her own terms

Pamela’s makeup-free appearances at Paris Fashion Week in 2023 also sparked a conversation about beauty and ageing.

In an interview with Vogue, she explained that she wasn’t opposed to makeup. She wanted the freedom to choose how she presented herself.

That is what resonates with me: being able to enjoy beauty without feeling obliged to look a certain way.

For women in our 50s and beyond, confidence can include changing our routines, keeping the ones we love, or trying something entirely different.

Why her story stayed with me

Starting Estetika at 50 gave me a new direction after years working in other industries. I still have plenty to learn.

Pamela’s story reminds me that we can keep making room for parts of ourselves that haven’t had their turn yet.

A first performance. A new business. A story finally told in our own words.

There is still time for something that matters to you.

Watch Episode 8 of The Reinvention Series: Pamela Anderson

Wanda x
Founder, Estetika