Just when you thought you were all caught up with your television shows, Hulu swoops in with a star-studded limited series about one of Hollywood’s most famous couples. The upcoming Pam & Tommy explores the fast-paced romance of model and actress Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan), who married in 1995 after only knowing each other for 96 hours. The series pays a particular amount of attention to how their honeymoon sex tape got stolen and subsequently released right when the Internet started making everything immediately accessible worldwide. (Basically, they inadvertently created the first viral video.) Seth Rogen is a producer on the project and also plays Rand Gauthier, the couple’s electrician that stole the tape. Director Craig Gillespie, who’s known for his work on Cruella, I, Tonya, and Physical directed several episodes.
According to Vanity Fair, the real-life Anderson is deeply hurt by Pam & Tommy. Her friend, Courtney Love, posted in a now-deleted social media post that developing a show about this massive invasion of privacy in Anderson’s life is “so f*cking outrageous” and was adding to her friend’s trauma. Lily James, who plays Anderson in the series, reached out to Anderson but didn’t get a response. James revealed to Porter that she was hoping for a collaboration: "I was very hopeful that we would be in touch right up until we started filming... My sole intention was to take care of the story and to play Pamela authentically."
Let’s take a look at who plays who in Pam & Tommy, which premieres February 2 on Hulu.
Pamela Anderson (Lily James)
Lily James plays Pamela Anderson, the main attraction and global star of the series Baywatch as well as frequent Playboy cover model. The sex symbol of the early 2000s also acted in several projects including Home Improvement, Superhero Movie, V.I.P., and Barb Wire. The model has appeared on Dancing with the Stars, was roasted in Comedy Central’s Roast of Pamela Anderson, and has published several books. She met Tommy Lee at a 1994 New Year’s Eve Hollywood party.
British actress Lily James is known for her work in Cinderella, Baby Driver, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. She stars in the upcoming romantic comedy What’s Love Got to Do with It? and the thriller The Paris Trap.
Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan)
Marvel star Sebastian Stan completely transformed into Tommy Lee, a founding member and the long-time drummer of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He also created the rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem and has since done solo work. In addition to being known for his many tattoos and wealthy and drug-fueled lifestyle, he’s been known for having an explosive temper. According to the Rolling Stone article, he held Rand Gauthier at gunpoint and shouted: “Get the f*ck off my property” when the electrician returned for his tools. He’s also been accused on several occasions of domestic abuse. The drummer married social media star Brittany Furlan in 2019.
Playing Tommy Lee is quite the departure for Stan, who’s likely best known for playing Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to fighting bad guys, Stan has starred in Endings, Beginnings, The Devil All the Time, and Monday. He is currently starring alongside Jessica Chastain in The 355.
Uncle Miltie Ingley (Nick Offerman)
Actor Nick Offerman plays Uncle Miltie, the infamous porn producer who teams up with Rand to try and make a buck off of the stolen sex tape. This big hairy fella is a legend in the porn industry and uses his knowledge and experiences as a successful producer to circulate the tape. He’s described as a “borderline sociopath” who dips between “humorous and horrific.” In the trailer, Uncle Miltie watches the stolen tape with Rand in disbelief. "It’s so private. It’s like we’re seeing something we’re not supposed to be seeing, which is kind of what makes it so hot."
Nick Offerman is best known for playing the stoic and mustachioed Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. He’s recently starred in series such as Devs, Colin in Black & White, and Fargo. He can be heard in Sing 2 and The Great North and seen in the upcoming series A League of Their Own and The Last of Us.
Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen)
If it wasn’t for Rand Gauthier stealing this tape, none of this would’ve happened. Rand worked for the couple as their electrician but apparently had an unpleasant experience on the job. Tommy fired Rand and didn’t pay him for his work, which left Rand feeling bitter and dejected. As a result, he went back to their home and managed to steal a huge safe. The safe, which was filled with jewels and guns, also contained the sex tape, much to Rand’s surprise. Rand, a former porn actor himself, reached out to Miltie, who helped him sell copies of the tape online.
In addition to having a starring role, Seth Rogen produced the project with his creative partner, Evan Goldberg, and their company, Point Grey Pictures. The pair has been developing the project for several years. Rogen is an Emmy-nominated writer and producer behind projects including Invincible, The Boys, Preacher, Santa Inc., and Black Monday. As an actor, he’s known for his work in Neighbors, This Is the End, Freaks and Geeks, and Superbad. He’s set to star in The Fablemans, an upcoming drama and semi-autobiography based on Steven Spielberg’s childhood.
Erica Gauthier (Taylor Schilling)
Taylor Schilling plays Erica Gauthier, a popular porn star who also happens to be married to Rand. Rand and Erica are pretty much just married “on paper”, as Erica is described as having “emotional and intellectual intelligence that Rand cannot quite fathom.”
Schilling is best known for playing Piper Chapman in Orange Is the New Black. She’s currently working on the animated sci-fi series Pantheon with Paul Dano and Maude Apatow.
Seth Warshavsky (Fred Hechinger)
Ethics and morals seem to be nonexistent in this series. Fred Hechinger plays Seth Warshavsky, who’s described as a “classic Silicon Valley wonderkind.” Warshavsky was the CEO of Internet Entertainment Group (IEG), the company responsible for releasing the sex tape, which made his name synonymous with the budding Internet pornography industry. He’s considered so influential in the early days of the internet that Time magazine named him the top 50 of Internet pioneers.
Fred Hechinger is one of the busiest young actors working today. He’s known for his work in The Woman in the Window, News of the World, the Fear Street trilogy, and the hit HBO series The White Lotus. He’s starring alongside Christian Bale in The Pale Blue Eye, a film about Edgar Allan Poe.
Hugh Hefner (Mike Seely)
Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner is played by Mike Seely. Hefner had a very public friendship with Anderson, who was one of his Playboy Playmates. She’s been on 14 covers of the magazine, the most of any model.
Seely has appeared in projects including Nashville, Little Accidents, and Dark Waters.
Richard Alden (Paul Ben-Victor)
Coming to the defense of Pamela and Tommy is the “always right” Richard Alden, a bold “super lawyer” whose impressive track record is put in jeopardy with this new, high-profile case.
Actor Paul Ben-Victor is known for his work in The Wire, Entourage, Everybody Hates Chris, and the Daredevil movie. He recently starred in The Irishman as real estate developer Jack Gottlieb with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
Melanie (Pepi Sonuga)
Actress Pepi Sonuga plays Melanie, Pamela’s best friend. Their friendship is tested once rock star Tommy Lee enters Pamela’s life and begins an instant love affair.
Sonuga is known for her work as Tangey Turner in the Freeform series Famous in Love as well as for her work in Ash vs Evil Dead, The Fosters, and 9-1-1. She can currently be seen in the new ABC series Queens.
Louis “Butchie” Peraino (Andrew Dice Clay)
Comedian and actor Andrew Dice Clay plays the tough, no-nonsense Butchie, a quasi-mob guy who has and will extort others for financial gain. Don’t cross or disappoint him, or else you’re going to pay for it in more ways than one. (Butchie’s also from a crime family that financed and distributed porn back when it was illegal in the United States, so…)
While Clay is mostly known for his career as a stand-up comedian, he’s acted in a variety of projects including Entourage, A Star Is Born, Blue Jasmine, and his short-lived Showtime series Dice.
Steve Fasanella (Spenser Grenese)
Assisting Uncle Miltie in his shady endeavors is Steve Fasanella, a dim-witted employee of Ingley Studios. The mullet-sporting Steve is similar to Rand in that he isn’t very concerned with doing what’s morally and ethically correct. He lacks ambition and any real career aspirations that transcend his current position.
Actor Spenser Grenese has appeared in The Sinner, Better Call Saul, Blue Bloods, and Fear the Walking Dead. He’s currently attached to an untitled Katie Holmes project.
Gail Chwatsky (Mozhan Marnò)
Actress Mozhan Marnò plays Gail Chwatsky, Pamela’s "absolute powerhouse of a publicist." On the surface, Chwatsky seems to only focus on the professional, business aspect of her job, though deep down she genuinely cares for her client, whose personal life unexpectedly unfolds in front of the public eye.
Marnò is known for her previous work on House of Cards, The Blacklist, The Affair, and most recently the Netflix limited series Maid.
Pam & Tommy premieres Wednesday, February 2 on Hulu.