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For decades, Pamela Anderson<\/strong><\/a> was regarded as little more than a blonde bombshell and vapid sex symbol who posed for Playboy<\/em>, ran on the beach in a red Baywatch swimsuit and engaged in a string of failed marriages. Not anymore.<\/p>\n In early 2023, she showed the world a different side of herself with her Emmy-nominated documentary, Pamela, a Love Story<\/em>, and her memoir, Love, Pamela<\/em>. Shortly after, she went viral when she entered her no make-up era<\/a>, a movement she\u2019s called \u201cfun and freeing.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, the 57-year-old \u2014 who\u2019s garnering rave reviews for her gritty portrayal of an aging-out Vegas dancer in Gia Coppola\u2019s<\/strong> The Last Showgirl<\/em> \u2014 says she\u2019s living on her own terms.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel so blessed and fortunate that I get this opportunity and chance to have this life that I\u2019ve thought I could have a long time ago,\u201d she said during a September 7 interview.<\/p>\n She\u2019s earned it. \u201cAfter her documentary and book, people started to respect Pam as a woman of intelligence who has a purpose in life,\u201d an insider exclusively tells Life & Style<\/em>. \u201cShe can finally show people who she really is<\/a> and have her say.\u201d<\/p>\n Pam admits she played a part in keeping herself confined to labels. \u201cI underestimated myself too,\u201d she admitted to one interviewer, adding that she harbors no resentment about being pigeonholed as a bimbo. \u201cHaving nothing to live up to is a good position to be in. You can surprise everybody even with a full sentence. You\u2019re a genius.\u201d<\/p>\n The source says Pam\u2019s thrilled to be \u201cproving she\u2019s more than that girl in the bathing suit\u201d in The Last Showgirl<\/em>. \u201cPam really saw a lot of herself in this role. It\u2019s the kind of project one would wait a lifetime for.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the source, the Barb Wire<\/em> star had written off acting when the script came to her. \u201cShe\u2019s getting to show off her more serious side.\u201d<\/p>\n Her personal life is also in a great place. In recent years, she\u2019s retreated to her native Canada to live in a remote part of Vancouver Island, where she grew up. \u201cIt\u2019s where she feels at peace and one with nature,\u201d says the source.<\/p>\n She\u2019s going all-natural too, giving up Botox and fillers. \u201cAging doesn\u2019t bother her,\u201d says the source. \u201cIt\u2019s more important she\u2019s healthy physically and emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n The six-time divorc\u00e9e also says it\u2019s been a year since she\u2019s dated seriously, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s been the best year of my life. It\u2019s been every day writing and reading and just thinking about all the things that make me happy.\u201d (She and her fifth husband, Vancouver Island local Dan Hayhurst<\/strong>, split after a year of marriage in 2021.)<\/p>\n \u201cAfter so many stormy love affairs, Pam\u2019s OK with being alone,\u201d says the source. \u201cShe\u2019s having a relationship with herself, and it\u2019s been great. She relishes the quiet.\u201d<\/p>\nGood Things for Pamela Anderson<\/h2>\n