"I've never worked so hard": Lily James opens up on stunning Pamela Anderson transformation

In a recent interview with Porter, Lily James opened up about her on-screen transformation into Pamela Anderson for Hulu's upcoming miniseries Pam & Tommy.

The eight-episode series, which will premiere on February 2, revolves around the love story of actress Pamela Anderson and musician Tommy Lee (played by Sebastian Stan). The couple tied the knot in 1995, just four days after meeting each other for the first time. They would go on to welcome two sons, Brandon and Dylan, and later divorced in 1998.

The series also focuses on the infamous s*x tape that was stolen by an electrician named Rand Gauthier (played by Seth Rogen) after Tommy reportedly refused to pay him for his work.

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Here's what Lily James said about her transformation

James as Anderson in Hulu's upcoming miniseries (Images via Getty and Hulu)

James talked about how hard she had prepared for the role, as she said:

“I’ve never worked so hard. I read the books [Anderson] has written, I read her poetry, I can parrot along to all her interviews.”

James, who had to undergo four hours of makeup and wear a wig, a chest plate and some tan to transform into Pamela Anderson, said:

"And then, of course, there was the physical transformation. Slowly, our incredible team found a balance where I resembled Pamela but also felt like I could act through it.”

While talking about her "freeing and liberating" transformation, James stated:

“I’ve never done anything where I look very different from myself before. And I’d really like to continue in this vein, because I felt there was something very freeing and liberating in it. There was a bravery that came from that. A courage that came from… disappearing.”

She told Porter that she hated returning to being her normal, usual self, saying:

“It was like being stripped of all these superpowers! I’d really enjoyed the physicality and the sensuality, even down to the long fingernails. There was just so much character to hold on to – it was really thrilling.”

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How did fans react?

Ever since Hulu released the first-look images of the stars of Pam & Tommy, fans have not been able to keep calm as they took to social media to express their excitement.

One fan stated that they would not be able to get over the transformation.

One person, praising James' transformation, tweeted:

Someone on the internet said that they are confusing James to be Anderson because of the "amazing" transformation.

One Twitter user commented on the uncanny resemblance between the two actresses.

Another fan praised the makeup department as they shared their excitement through a tweet.

The first three episodes will hit the streaming service on February 2, 2022, whereas new episodes will be released weekly.