Pamela Anderson Reveals She Never Liked Being A ‘Sex Symbol’

During a podcast appearance, Pamela Anderson reflected on the emotional toll of being labeled a “sex symbol,” revealing she never felt comfortable with that image.

Now 58, the actress is embracing a more natural, makeup-free look, which has earned her praise amid a career resurgence.

Pamela Anderson says her decision to go barefaced is about authenticity, not rebellion, and hopes it sparks deeper conversations about beauty and the aging process.

Speaking on the How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, Anderson offered a rare, candid reflection on the darker side of her fame, revealing that she never felt comfortable with the sex symbol status that defined much of her early career.

Best known for playing C.J. Parker on “Baywatch,” Anderson became a global icon in the 1990s, instantly recognizable in her red swimsuit and hailed as one of the “sexiest women alive.” However, at 58, the Canadian actress admits that such attention came at a personal cost.

“I don’t like being a sex symbol. I mean, I think it’s not very sexy. I think we all aspire to be sexy in our relationships, but sexy for the world is, I don’t know,” Anderson said, per the Daily Mail.

While Anderson acknowledged that being a “sex symbol” brought her success, she also spoke about the uncomfortable realities behind it.

The actress noted, “It brought a lot of attention I didn’t like, but I hate to say that because I’m not complaining, but I do feel that is a slippery slope where you are presenting yourself to the world like this and you get this attention back.”

Anderson first made headlines in September 2023 after stepping out barefaced at Victoria Beckham’s Paris Fashion Week runway show, an unexpected move that quickly went viral and marked a bold new chapter in her public image.

However, the decision to attend the high-profile event without a trace of makeup didn’t come easily.

According to Anderson, her choice to fly to Paris without a makeup artist caused visible panic among her team.

“It just sent everybody scrambling around me thinking, no, this is not what people do, and I said, well, that even gives me more reason to do it,” she recalled. “Not that it was world peace or anything, but it was just me challenging myself, thinking, ‘Why am I sitting in a makeup chair for three hours when I’m not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room?’ I’m going to a fashion show.”

Reflecting on that moment, she explained how the idea came to her: “When I was in Paris, I thought, ‘Who’s looking at me? I’m clothed from head to toe with these big hats, and this much of my face is sticking out. Is anyone going to really fall over backwards if I’m not wearing makeup?’ And that’s where it started at Paris Fashion Week.”

Now in her fifties, the “Barb Wire” actress said the decision to go barefaced isn’t just a style choice, it’s a statement.

“It can be even scary at times, me not wearing makeup and me being at this age, coming into this part of my career, I felt it was important for me in my personal life, to be more natural,” she explained.

Anderson shared that her shift in presentation is part of a larger mission to redefine how women, especially aging women, in the spotlight are seen.

“I want to challenge myself and become and to be present myself in different ways because women are many things. We’re not just the wild animal between the sheets,” she stated.

According to Anderson, the public response to her new style and vision has been overwhelmingly supportive.

“I get people coming up to me on the street, at the grocery store, on the plane, and really loving this choice that I’ve made,” she said. “I feel like it is resonating, and it’s something I want to explore deeper, too, even for myself, because I’m a rebel. I’m always challenging things. I’m always doing the opposite of what people tell me to do. I just have that in me, and so I want to work with people that have the same concerns.”

Anderson continued: “We have these generational habits, the way that we’re brought up—even just these things that stick in our heads—and I want to break free of that. I feel like this is a little bit of a rebel move: to be who you want to be. What is beauty anyway? Beauty is subjective. We don’t have to look like the covers of magazines.”

Anderson emphasized that the shift wasn’t about “letting go” but about reconnecting with herself.

“I just felt like it was time to. I had nothing to lose, and I felt, I’m not trying to create a persona right now. I’m not trying to be famous. I need to use my position to experiment and open up conversations,” Anderson said, per the Daily Mail.

She added, “It’s not that I’m letting myself go. I don’t feel like I look like a mess when I walk out the door. I’m just peeling it back to see who I am.”

Looking ahead, Anderson remains open about her ongoing evolution: “It’s just a starting position. I don’t know what my next incarnation is, but it’s not going to be what my mother tells me to do.”