Pamela Anderson and Brenda Song.Photo:Amanda Edwards/Getty
Amanda Edwards/Getty
Brenda Songis looking back onThe Last Showgirl—andPamela Anderson’s bare-faced positivity on set.
In an interview withBustlepublished Jan. 7,Song opened up about the culture behind Gia Coppola’s indie film, specifically a “less-is-more” mentality that extended to the makeup chair. In recent years, Song noted, her costar Anderson — who has become ano-makeup icon in her advocacy for natural beauty— encouraged others on set to give it a try.
While the actresses were on stage as showgirls, they sported heavy glam — as stages often demand. But aside from those moments, Song said, there was no makeup on their faces whatsoever.
“The first day we tried makeup on and Gia was like, ‘It doesn’t feel real.’ And Pam was like, ‘These women don’t have time for it,’" Song recalled. “And Pamela being Pamela, she goes, ‘I’m not doing it. You guys shouldn’t do it either.’”
Song had along career as a child actor— telling Bustleshe’s “lived the life of a 30-year-old work woman since I was 11” — which meant getting into makeup very early on. A little bit of powder and concealer has been standard in her experience, Song said, but not inThe Last Showgirl.
Brenda Song in The Last Showgirl.Roadside Attractions
Roadside Attractions
“In this movie there was no place for it,” she said. “There was something really freeing about not being worried every two seconds going ‘Oh my God, this is the least amount of clothing that I’ve ever worn in my career. I just had two kids. I feel so insecure.”
She continued, “And working with these women — who every day uplifted and supported me, made me feel beautiful — made me feel comfortable.”
Anderson recently opened up to PEOPLE about herThe Last Showgirlcharacter, Shelly, and how hercosmetic philosophymirrored her own.
“I just wanted it to be raw and real, and I was ready for that and prepared for that and excited about that,” she told PEOPLE.
Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl.courtesy of Roadside Attractions
courtesy of Roadside Attractions
She added that while preparing for the day’s filming onTheLast Showgirlset, she avoided mirrors to prevent overthinking her appearance. The only mirrors she engaged with were the showgirl mirrors, she said, which were part of the film itself.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Anderson’s decision to go makeup-free — after decades of carving a specific glam niche for herself — came after herlongtime makeup artist, Alexis Vogel, died of breast cancer in 2019. Anderson toldEllethat without Vogel, she felt better without makeup, too.
Since then, she’s made a number of appearances flaunting a bare face, most recently at the2025 Golden Globes.
source: people.com
