Pamela Anderson won’t be making another run as CJ Parker.
As Fox moves forward with its upcoming Baywatch reboot, the actress says she has “no plans” to return to the franchise that made her a global star. Following the critical success of her Golden Globe-nominated performance in The Last Showgirl, Anderson told Deadline she’s focused on finding new creative challenges instead of revisiting familiar territory.
“No one’s reached out to me. I don’t know much about it. I know that they were talking to my sons at some point about producing, but I don’t think they had a meeting of the minds. I’m not sure what happened there, but I wish them well. It was a great job, and I loved going to work every day on the beach. I would have been there anyway. [Laughs] At the time, it taught me a lot, and it gave me worldwide exposure. Everything I’ve done has led me to here, which is a blessing. But I have no plans of going back to Baywatch,” she said.
Even so, it doesn’t sound like Anderson is closing the door because of any bad memories. Quite the opposite: She spoke fondly of her time on the series, but said she’s more interested in seeing where this new chapter of her career can take her than looking back.
“If my kids were involved, I probably would have listened to them,” Anderson added. “I think I’ve just got to keep on seeing what else is out there. I get that there’s a lot of really great TV out there right now, but I’ve already done that. Now is my time to really play with different characters. I don’t want to just fill my time until the end of the year. I have options, and some things I’m thinking about, including some theater again. I want to make really bold choices. I want to surprise people. I want to surprise myself. And so I’m trying to do things I haven’t done in the past.”
Anderson played fan-favorite lifeguard CJ Parker from 1992 through 1997 before reprising the role for a cameo in the 2017 Baywatch movie.
The new series, which is currently filming, centers on Hobie Buchannon (Stephen Amell), who has followed in the footsteps of his legendary father, Mitch Buchannon — played by David Hasselhoff in the original series — by becoming a Baywatch captain. His life is thrown into turmoil when Charlie (Jessica Belkin), the daughter he never knew he had, arrives hoping to continue the Buchannon family legacy by joining Baywatch alongside her father.
The cast also includes Shay Mitchell as Trina, Hassie Harrison as Nat, Thaddeus LaGrone as Brad, Noah Beck as Luke and Brooks Nader as Selene. Livvy Dunne is set to make her acting debut in a recurring role as Grace, while original Baywatch stars David Chokachi and Erika Eleniak will reprise their roles as Cody Madison and Shauni McClain.
The reboot is co-produced by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle, with Burn Notice creator Matt Nix serving as showrunner and executive producer. McG directs the premiere and executive produces alongside Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto and Mike Horowitz.
