Dhruv Trivedi
‘Pam & Tommy’ follows the leak of an explosive celebrity sex tape that is stolen from the titular couple’s home. The show depicts the various characters that play a role in the spread of the tape and those affected by it from multiple angles. Episode 6, however, changes the pace of the narrative and takes us back to Pamela’s early days. Through flashbacks, we are introduced to a pre-celebrity-status version of the character and get to watch her first taste of fame.
Considering the show dramatizes real-life events, we decided to take a look at just how much of Pamela’s early days are accurately represented. Here, we explore the potential real-life person behind Roger Dennis’ character and the football game that seemingly changed it all for Pamela. Let’s dive in.
Is Roger Dennis from Labatt Based on a Real Person?
In one of the flashbacks in ‘Pam & Tommy,’ we are taken back to 1989 when Pamela attends a football game in Vancouver. During the game, the cameraman flashes a shot of her on the big stadium screen, leading to what appears to be her first taste of being in the limelight. Soon after, she is approached by a man named Roger Dennis, who claims to be the V.P. of marketing at Labatt Breweries. He gives Pamela his card and tells her to call him if she’s interested in modeling.
In real life, Pamela Anderson did work with Labatt’s Beer, who hired her to be a spokesmodel. However, there are no reports of her being approached directly by a Labatt marketing executive at a football match. There are also no mentions of the real Anderson being in contact with anyone named Roger Dennis from the brewing company. Thus, it appears that Roger Dennis is a fictional character introduced in the show as a narrative device, and possibly to make things more dramatic.
Was Pamela Anderson Discovered at a Football Game?
Despite Roger Dennis likely being a fictional character, what happened in real life is no less remarkable than what is depicted on the show. 22-Year-old Anderson actually did attend a B.C. Lions football game around 1989, where she was featured on the stadium screen while sporting a Labatt’s Beer t-shirt. The crowds loved her, and seemingly by popular demand, she was brought in as the spokesmodel for the brewing company, becoming the “Blue Zone Girl.” Her boyfriend at the time, Dan Ilicic, also seemingly capitalized on her fame and produced a stack of posters featuring Anderson in a Blue Zone crop top.
After briefly working with the beer company and doing a few commercials in Vancouver, the young model was spotted by Playboy magazine and invited to do a shoot. Of course, she then went on to become the iconic publication’s most famous cover model and a global celebrity icon.
Thus, one can say that Pamela Anderson was discovered at the B.C. Lions game in Vancouver all those years ago. A few moments on the stadium screen were seemingly all she needed for the crowds to fall in love and her potential as a model to become apparent. Of course, some credit should also go to the cameraman who picked Anderson out of the crowd and flashed her image at the football game in the first place.
Read More: Where was Pam & Tommy’s Sex Tape Filmed in Real Life?
