Pamela Anderson Interview – Sara Switzer

Despite her Canadian roots, Pamela Anderson is the prototypical California girl–with the hair, the voice, and especially the body, to prove it. But we already know about the body. She’s graced the cover of Playboy more than any other woman in history (10 times), and now the life of Pamela Anderson, sex symbol, is changing. Her revelations about her battle with hepatitis C, as well as a difficult custody battle over her two children with ex-husband Tommy Lee–one that’s helped to make her an advocate for women’s rights–has transformed the world’s favorite lifeguard from pinup girl to crusader. Or maybe it’s just that she’s always been a little bit–make that a whole lot–of both.

SARA SWITZER: Hi, Pamela, how are you?

PAMELA ANDERSON: I’m good. Life as a single mom–I’m rushing from summer camp, coming home, making beds; I’m running all over the place. So if I sound out of breath that’s why. I mean, it’s always something. Baseball, surfing, karate … and that’s just today.

SARA SWITZER: [laughs] What’s your favorite thing about being a mom?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Everything. I’m an ubermother. [laughs] I’m involved in everything. I love to cook, and I’m teaching my kids how to cook. It’s really fun. I’m actually writing a vegetarian cookbook for kids. What I love most about being a mom is that I am able to sit here with these two miracles and watch them grow up. I guide them, but really I’m just along for the ride.

SARA SWITZER: How’s L.A.?

PAMELA ANDERSON: It’s beautiful. It’s really gorgeous today–already clear, not foggy at all.

SARA SWITZER:When you were a little girl in Canada did you dream of moving to California?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Oh yeah. I think everybody does. Especially in Canada, where I was from, it seemed like everyone wanted to come to California.

SARA SWITZER: Why?

PAMELA ANDERSON: It’s the weather, I think. When you live in a place like Vancouver Island, where it rains a lot, the grass is always greener. Now that I’m here, I like Canada more than I used to.

SARA SWITZER: You do?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Vancouver Island is gorgeous, absolutely beautiful, and I miss the seasons. Here, I don’t know what I do in a year–it’s just one big blur–whereas back home I’d know what I did last fall, last spring, last winter. In California, you’re on the beach at Christmas. In a bikini. [laughs]

SARA SWITZER: What’s your ideal day in Los Angeles?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Well, first of all, I don’t live in L.A. I’m in Malibu. [laughs] I don’t go over the hill that often, and when I do it’s like you put your armor on, go out there, do what you’ve got to do, and get back to the beach. After I talk to you I’m going to walk my dogs for a couple miles on the beach. I’ve got a golden retriever who’s 12 but like a puppy, and then I have this little rescue dog that talks to me the entire time we walk. He’s funny. We don’t know what he is.

SARA SWITZER: You’ve been through a lot in the past year. You’re in the middle of a custody battle at the moment, right?

PAMELA ANDERSON: I’m at the end of it. I feel so bad for people who are [involved in these cases], and don’t have the funds that I do–I’ve spent $500,000 dollars so far. In the research I’ve done for my own case–about domestic violence and how it’s so typical, and the tactics used against women–I’ve learned about how unfairly women are treated in the court system. It’s a real problem.

SARA SWITZER: What did it feel like for you to go public with the fact that you have hepatitis C?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Well, someone else made it public for me. We don’t know who, but it got to the press. They made it into a real negative, saying that I got it from breast implants, something sensational that the tabloids would pick up on. It’s so stupid. I didn’t want to seem irresponsible, and plus, I can’t lie, so when someone asked me, I said, “I have it, but I’m being treated.” I’m taking care of my life. I look after myself and, no matter what people think, I’m a very healthy person. I am not this raving drunk, drug addict, crazy person–that’s just an image created by the media. And it’s crap. I happen to be a cheap drunk. If I have a glass of wine, I’m on my ear.

SARA SWITZER: How are you feeling now?

PAMELA ANDERSON: I feel good. I’m really healthy. They rate a liver from zero to four. Zero is a healthy liver, and I’m a one. They said it was a miracle that my liver is as healthy as it is. So they said, “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

SARA SWITZER: I understand that you were going to start more aggressive treatment in December but you’ve decided to wait?

PAMELA ANDERSON: I have a type of hepatitis C that is easily treatable, and my doctor told me that he wants to wait. If I did have to be treated right away, I would jump into it. I was ready for December. I was like, “You know what? I don’t care if I lose my hair. I don’t care if I am sick. I want to get this out of my body and get on with the rest of my life!”

SARA SWITZER: It’s wonderful that you’ve chosen to take your experience public. As a popular figure, you have a tremendous amount of power, and it’s helpful to put the information out there.

PAMELA ANDERSON: Well, it’s nice because there are so many more people getting tested for hepatitis now. UCLA (Medical Center] called and said there are something like four times the amount of people coming in to be tested since I went public.

SARA SWITZER: That’s amazing.

PAMELA ANDERSON: The most important thing is to stop the spread of the disease. To do that you don’t put anybody at risk. You don’t share razors, you don’t share toothbrushes, you don’t share needles, obviously. You don’t share a needle with the pope, you know? People should not, in this day and age, be doing anything like that.

SARA SWITZER: I read that you’re planning a charitable motorcycle ride to raise money for hepatitis research. Is that still happening?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Hell, yeah. It’s scheduled for October 27. I’ve got everybody coming, so it’s going to be great. It’s kind of like a love ride, but it’s for hepatitis. [laughs]

SARA SWITZER: You’re quite an activist.

PAMELA ANDERSON: I always have been. I’ve always been causing trouble, stirring the pot. They called me STPP-Stir The Pot Pam–when I was little. My dad hunted and I threw a huge stink, threw myself in front of the truck. I’ve never considered myself an actress–I’ve always thought, Great, I’m on the beach. I get to bring my dog to work. I’m happy. I’m having babies. I’m married to a rock star. Oops, that’s a big mistake! Oops, I’m marrying another rock star! [both laugh]

SARA SWITZER: So, how’s it going with Bob [Ritchie], Kid Rock?

PAMELA ANDERSON: It’s um… it’s going. [laughs]

SARA SWITZER: Are you guys engaged?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Yeah, we’re engaged. Recently I said on Lary King [Live], “We’re in the trenches,” and everyone thought, ‘Oh no, they broke up!” So then I said, “No, every relationship is in the trenches–I wouldn’t want it to be anywhere else.” If you understand my personality, you understand that. It means we’re working on our relationship, and we care about it enough to work on it. We both have kids, we both have issues, we both have careers, we live in two different places.

SARA SWITZER: Does he still live in Detroit?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Yeah. And he wants me to move there. I went for the summer and lasted five days. I told him: “Every inch I’m away from the beach is taking years off my life.” And he’s like, “You’re so dramatic!” [both laugh] But I feel it’s true. I have to have one foot in the ocean. But he’s a great person, and he’s got good intentions.

SARA SWITZER: What made you fall in love with him?

PAMELA ANDERSON: I love his energy, his charisma, his personality, his talent. And he’s gorgeous and sexy. I could go on and on. He’s funny and he’s a sweetheart. He cares and he’s a good dad. What more could you ask for? He gets up early, and he’ll sing me a song that he wrote me, and it’s like.. . wow. I don’t know what to do with that. I’ve just got to give in. [laughs]

SARA SWITZER: Did you enjoy the photo shoot for Interview?

PAMELA ANDERSON: Karl Lagerfeld was here, in my garage. That was very surreal. I was told, “Karl Lagerfeld is going to come with a couple of people. They’re going to be at your house and they’re going to do a whole makeup and hair thing, everything like that.” So I said, “Fine.” I dropped my kids off at camp, I came back, and there are motor homes and trucks everywhere. My street’s very, very quiet, and no one brings anybody in here- it’s very private. But there are these motor homes and 20 people in black suits, standing in the middle of my street. So I pull up in my Escalade–and you should see me: I’m in sweats, I’ve got my hair pulled back–and he started to take pictures. No makeup, no nothing.

SARA SWITZER: That’s great. Au naturel.

PAMELA ANDERSON: Well, who knows. I see myself like that every day. I just don’t want to gross people out.

SARA SWITZER: I’ve heard that Stan Lee has created a comic book character based on you. Can you tell me about that?

PAMELA ANDERSON: I came up with the name: Stripperella. I feel that every good Canadian girl has stripped at one time in her life–I’m just doing it backwards. I’ve had my career first, and now I want to be a stripper. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I want to be a stripper! I’m going to be animated, and I’m going to have a smaller waist and bigger boobs.