Love, Pamela: A Memoir of Prose, Poetry, and Truth

Once her Playboy photoshoot came out, Anderson was inundated with calls from casting agents. She was reluctant to meet with the Baywatch producers, solely because she didn’t like driving, and their offices were far from her home. Instead, she auditioned for the role of Lisa on Home Improvement, and got the part. This was a minor but recurring role, and since Home Improvement was the most popular show in the country at the time, she became instantly recognizable to millions of Americans. With no preparation on how to deal with fame, Anderson came to accept that she had lost her anonymity.

While she at first avoided the Baywatch opportunity, Anderson accompanied then-boyfriend David Charvet to his audition for the show. After meeting her, the producers offered her a spot on the show without her auditioning at all. They interviewed her about her personality and background to inform her character C.J. on the show. As Anderson juggled her roles on Home Improvement and Baywatch, she realized that Baywatch offered her much more opportunity to shine as an actor and ended her role on Home Improvement.

Anderson explored theories on acting and was drawn to method acting, which emphasizes using personal experience as a foundation for performance.