Pam Anderson Forced Her Agent To Let Her Accept The Lead Role In Her Biggest Flop

Those alive in 1996 likely remember the debacle of David Hogan's bizarre sci-fi action film "Barb Wire." It starred Pamela Anderson, who had achieved worldwide fame for her performance on the hit series "Baywatch," and the actress was ready to lead feature films. In what may be seen as a baffling move, she agreed to star in a high-octane adaptation of the "Barb Wire" comic books, created by Chris Warner & Team CGW and published by Dark Horse Comics, the same company behind the hit film "The Mask" from two years earlier. "Barb Wire" was set in the distant future of 2017 when the United States was in the midst of been devastated by a prolonged Civil War. Barb was a stripper and bar owner who oversaw the Hammerhead, a remote drinking hole that served as the only safe and free location in the war-torn nation. 

The story saw Barb reuniting with an old lover named Axel (Temuera Morrison) and his new girlfriend Dr. Devonshire (Victoria Rowell). Axel needed Barb's help in fleeing the country, hoping that their past will motivate her to get them the appropriate exit visas. If the story sounds familiar, it's because "Barb Wire" is a dystopian, sci-fi, gender-flipped rendition of "Casablanca." 

As we now know now, "Barb Wire" was a flop of epic proportions. It only made $3.8 million on its already modest $9 million budget, and it was savaged by critics. Some felt that the film could have been campier, while others felt that all attempts at emotion were melodramatic and dumb. It started to turn up on worst-films-of-all-time lists. Of course, it hardly is. In fact, in hindsight, the film is marvelously fun. Back in 1995, however, Anderson was all-in on "Barb Wire." In a vintage Los Angeles Times article, Anderson declared that she took the "Barb Wire" job without seeing a script, and against the advisement of her manager. Perhaps it was unwise.

It's worth noting that Anderson was still appearing on "Baywatch" when "Barb Wire" came out. Indeed, she had already been on the series for three years at that point. But she seemed to sense that it was high time to start diversifying, or face career stagnation. Anderson was a fan of the "Barb Wire" comics, and figured it would be a fun, over-the-top character for her to let loose with. But Anderson's unnamed manager felt that playing an over-the-top character wouldn't be good for Anderson's career, and told her not to accept the gig. Anderson defied him, saying:

"My manager wanted to turn this down, and told me, 'You're not going to play a cartoon character.' [...] But when I read the comic book, I knew that nobody could play this character but me. I agreed to do it without even seeing a script. I figured at this point in my career, I'm just lucky to be working, and Barb sounded like as much fun as I could have doing a movie. 

Indeed, Anderson felt that Barb was personally close to her. Barb is a take-no-guff cartoon figure who refuses to let the slimy men around her be cruel or rude. Early in the film, Barb kills a man with her high-heel shoe for the crime of calling her "Babe." Barb was a messy character, and Anderson could relate to that. She continued: 

"She's actually closer to me than anything I've ever done. I feel like I wangled my way into Hollywood, and I'm always in trouble and doing things sideways but eventually getting to where I want to be, and that's how Barb is. There's an evil, twisted, dark streak inside me that I finally get to explore with this character." 

The L.A. Times article came before the leaking of a personal VHS tape she shot with her husband, and "Barb Wire" came out after. In that light, Barb became all the more empowering.

Apart from Anderson's manager, no one felt that "Barb Wire" was ill-advised, nor did anyone think it was going to tank. Indeed, Anderson is nothing but positive about the movie, talking about how much fun it is to be an action hero, and how wild it was to wear the sci-fi movie's strange costumes. Her co-star, Jack Noseworthy, who plays Barb's little brother in the movie, loved Anderson's stage presence, and director David Hogan was impressed with her range as an actress. 

Anderson knew that she was fighting an uphill battle with "Barb Wire," though, understanding that most audience members would only see her as C.J., her "Baywatch" character. But Anderson felt that "Barb Wire" was strong enough to transcend any stereotyping. Indeed, it was the first project in a while she admitted being excited about. Anderson said: 

"It's hard to be on TV for a while with a character people are familiar with, and then jump to movies. I hope people will see the 'Barb Wire' ads and realize that this is not C.J. on the beach. It's something very different. It's also something I'm proud of ... and I never say that about anything I do. I hate pictures of myself, and never watch the shows I do. But I've been watching these dailies thinking, 'That looks damn good!'"

It's a pity that "Barb Wire" tanked. It was clearly a victim of the scandals Anderson found herself embroiled in. The failure was unfair to her and to the movie. These days, Anderson is gathering a great deal of acclaim for her performances in films like "The Last Showgirl" and "The Naked Gun." She is now living her best life. She may still love "Barb Wire."