There are quite a few attributes that Pamela Anderson has in spades. Yes, there’s the superficial bits—the tousled blonde waves and curves that famously landed her on countless covers of Playboy—but a quality that Anderson has on lock, it would seem, is longevity. Consider the fact that Anderson entered the cultural zeitgeist back in 1989 with her first Playboy cover, which she quickly segued into an acting career with roles on popular TV shows like Home Improvement and, of course, Baywatch.
Today, Anderson is a bit of everything—an animal rights activist, a feminist, a soon-to-be author, a mother to two popular male models, a front row regular at fashion shows, and, yes, a bombshell. Relocated to Saint Tropez for the summer, Anderson teamed up with her old friend, the photographer Luke Gilford, for an impromptu photo shoot, and chatted with W about her sons, the advice Julian Assange gave her about social media, and more.
Where in the world are you right now?
I’m in Saint Tropez for the rest of the summer. I have been for about three months so far. I’m renting out my house in Malibu, so I’m semi-homeless which is kind of nice when you get to go to the South of France. I can’t complain.
Do you go out every summer?
I don’t. I’ve been out here plenty of times for shoots, but my evil plan was always to semi-retire here. My kids [Dylan Jagger and Brandon Thomas Lee] are grown and they want me to be happy and they want to visit France, so it works out. I’m not micro-managing their life in L.A., and we’re spending quite a bit of time out here going to museums and experiencing culture and different languages, so it’s the best of all worlds. And it was always my plan and something I really aspired to. I knew before I turned 50 that I would be living on the French Riviera. And here I am.
Do you remember the first time you went there?
The first time I came was with Playboy about 20 years ago. I’m not really good with times and dates, but that was the first time. It’s a beautiful light. Everybody looks good in Saint Tropez. It is either full of beautiful people, or it’s the light. I can’t tell.
