Who plays Pam in 'Pam and Tommy'? Lily James goes from 'Downton Abbey' lady to 'Baywatch' star

From her movies to her love life

LILY JAMES in PAM & TOMMY (2022), directed by CRAIG GILLESPIE and HANNAH FIDELL
(Image credit: Alamy/ANNAPURNA PICTURES)

As we eagerly await the drop of Hulu's biopic on the 90s whirlwind romance between Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, you might be wondering who plays Pam in Pam & Tommy?

Well, consider us stunned! That mind-blowing Lily James' Pam Anderson makeover is one of the most uncanny transformations we've ever seen onscreen. The actress is the spitting image of Baywatch's Pamela Anderson, from the blonde hair to the skinny brows. However, you may find yourself wondering where you’ve seen her before, and if those romance rumors between her and co-star Sebastian Stan are true. 

We’ve got all the answers you seak, so buckle up—this is everything we know about Pamela’s doppelganger, Lily James.

Lily James attends the European premiere of "Pride And Prejudice And Zombies" at the Vue West End on February 1, 2016 in London, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images / Karwai Tang/WireImage)


What movies has Lily James been in?

While she’s been hitting headlines for her uncanny likeness and portrayal of 90s icon Pam, Lily has quite the list of movie credits under her belt.

If there are any Mamma Mia fans in the house, you’ll recognize her from Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again, where she starred as Donna Sheridan aka Meryl Streep’s younger self. She took us on a trip down memory lane of her flings with Sam Carmichael, Harry Bright, and Bill Anderson (try not to think that in Meryl’s voice... Yeah, you can’t.)

Lily also took on the role of Cinderella in Disney’s 2015 remake, as well as staring in Baby Driver, Darkest Hour, Rebecca, and Yesterday. Period drama fans will also remember her from a few episodes of Downton Abbey.

Are Lily James and Sebastian Stan Dating? 

LILY JAMES and Sebastian Stan in PAM & TOMMY (2022), directed by CRAIG GILLESPIE and HANNAH FIDELL

(Image credit: Alamy/ANNAPURNA PICTURES)

Ahh, the question on all of our lips—are Lily James and Sebastian Stan Dating?

Despite their sizzling on-screen chemistry, sadly no, the pair are not dating. In fact, Lily is currently in a relationship…

So who is Lily James' boyfriend?

Lily is currently in a relationship with bassist, Michael Shuman from the rock band Queens Of The Stoneage.

Michael "Mikey Shoes" Shuman of Queens Of The Stoneage who is reportedly dating Lily James

(Image credit: Getty Images / Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage)

The pair have been keeping their relationship under wraps, but it’s thought the pair started dating in early 2021 after they were spotted enjoying a romantic Valentine’s weekend together in Suffolk.

The desire for privacy could stem from her very public affair with married actor Dominic West, with whom she was spotted getting cozy while filming the series the Pursuit of Love in Rome.

Dominic West, Lily James attend the Harper's Bazaar Women Of The Year Awards 2018, in partnership with Michael Kors and Mercedes-Benz, at Claridge's Hotel on October 30, 2018 in London, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images / David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Harper's Bazaar/Hearst UK)

The news broke after photos were released of the couple kissing in 2020. West, who is married to Catherine, returned to the UK and released a statement saying their ‘marriage is strong’. Lily is yet to discuss the affair but acknowledged it for the first time in an interview with Elle.

She said: “I’m not really willing to talk about that. There is a lot to say, but not now, I’m afraid.”

Lily was also previously in a relationship with The Crown’s, Matt Smith from 2015 to 2019 after meeting on the set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and was also briefly linked to Chris Evans—some people get all the luck…

Matt Smith and Lily James attend an event hosted by Lily James to celebrate the launch of My Burberry Black at Burberry's all day cafe Thomas's on August 22, 2016 in London, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images / David M. Benett)

What has Lily said about playing Pamela Anderson? 

LILY JAMES in PAM & TOMMY (2022), directed by CRAIG GILLESPIE and HANNAH FIDELL

(Image credit: Alamy/ANNAPURNA PICTURES)

Pam & Tommy promises drama, sex, and a hell of a lot of 90s nostalgia. Lily’s incredible transformation into Pam has got us all very excited to see her at last in the role.

In an interview with Sebastian Stan for Variety—which got hearts seriously racing on TikTok—Lily revealed how she got into the role.

She said: "I binged [Baywatch] hard. She talks really fast, and I would watch her interviews over and over again and annotate them, learn them, and parrot along with her. I wanted to get that energy and that impulsiveness and that spirit that she has when she’s in front of the camera.”

She also revealed how much she admires Pam: “Sometimes you admire qualities in people that you feel you’re lacking, or you want to be more like. And I’ve always felt there was this boldness to Pamela, this unashamed kind of authenticity. And even without knowing exactly what went on and the details of the tape, just who she kind of stands for, it feels so brave.”

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Women's Lifestyle team, where she covers everything from entertainment to fashion and beauty, as well as TikTok trends for Woman&Home, after previously writing for My Imperfect Life and GoodTo. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but lept into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing and earned her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ.


Before working for Future Publishing’s Lifestyle News team, she worked in the Ad production team. Here she wrote and designed adverts on all sorts of things, which then went into print magazines across all genres. Now, when she isn’t writing articles on celebs, fashion trends, or the newest shows on Netflix, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping.