Pamela Anderson cut a glamorous figure as she arrived at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday to promote her new film, Place To Be, ahead of its premiere later in the evening.
The 59-year-old actress looked elegant in a floaty floral blue dress paired with white Christian Louboutin stilettos for the official photocall.
Louboutin, the French luxury footwear brand, is world-renowned for its signature red-lacquered soles. Anderson chose the clean white heels to complete her daytime look on the Italian island of Lido.
Showcasing her natural beauty, Anderson opted to go makeup-free for the event, styling her peroxide blonde hair in voluminous waves.
The star arrived at the historic Hotel Excelsior by water taxi, a traditional mode of transport for celebrity arrivals at the annual Italian gathering. She waved warmly to crowds of onlookers gathered by the waterfront dock.
Appearing in high spirits throughout her arrival, Anderson also stopped to sign photographs for waiting fans before heading into the venue.
The Road-Trip Drama Place To Be
During the photocall, Anderson was joined by director Taika Waititi, 51, who put on an animated display as he posed for photographs. Waititi, the New Zealand filmmaker who won an Academy Award for Jojo Rabbit, is married to pop singer Rita Ora.
Place To Be is a road-trip story following an elderly woman named Brooke, played by Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn, and a divorcée named Nelson, played by Waititi, as they travel from Chicago to New York to return a lost racing pigeon.
Anderson stars as Molly, Brooke's daughter, who is trying to find her footing following her second marriage while worrying about her mother's wellbeing.
The cast and crew assembled together on the red carpet, with actor Murray Bartlett, Waititi, Burstyn, Anderson, and director Kornél Mundruczó posing for group shots.
amfAR Gala Award and Health Journey
During her time at the Venice Film Festival, Anderson also received a prestigious award at the amfAR Gala held over the weekend. amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, holds high-profile fundraising events alongside major film festivals globally.
Speaking at the event, the former Baywatch star recalled the moment doctors gave her "10 years to live" after she was diagnosed with hepatitis C. Baywatch was the hit 1990s action drama series that launched Anderson to global fame.
The actress contracted the blood-borne liver infection around 1999 after sharing a tattoo needle with her ex-husband, rock musician Tommy Lee.
Anderson explained that doctors told her the diagnosis was terminal and that she would not live past another decade, a revelation she described as feeling like "a death sentence."
The mother of two, who shares sons Brandon, 30, and Dylan, 28, with Lee, said the terrifying prognosis heavily influenced her outlook during those years.
"It was a death sentence. That's what my doctor told me - that I probably had around 10 years to live," she said, as reported by Variety. "I'm sure that coloured and corrupted my decisions. It was not fear of death, but fear of what might happen to my young children. It turned my life inside out."
Overcoming Shame and Finding Strength
Anderson admitted she remains haunted by feelings of shame and guilt surrounding her health diagnosis and early personal struggles.
"But my experience of shame and guilt was also an unconscious journey. It stays with me; it haunts me," she confessed. "And just like the sexual abuse that I endured as a child, it felt like it was carved into my forehead: Damaged goods. And I presented myself as such."
A medical cure for hepatitis C was discovered in 2011. By 2015, Anderson announced she was completely cured of the virus after living with it for 16 years, though acquiring the treatment required significant personal expense.
"It took everything I had in my bank," Anderson admitted regarding the financial cost of paying for her treatment.
While noting she has still not fully recovered from the emotional impact of the original news, Anderson explained she has finally come to terms with her past and used the experience to power her creative resurgence.
The star of The Last Showgirl reflected on how acting gave her a newfound outlet for self-expression: "My truth has come through my work, finding ways to express myself through the arts. It gave me the ammunition I needed, a fertile life to use and play in."
Closing her address, Anderson declared: "I'm not a victim, I'm a victor. I am strong and capable, more now than I could ever dream of … I'm not the damsel in distress, no matter how easy that role is to play."
