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As filming for Pam & Tommy, the Hulu miniseries focused on actress Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s relationship continues, more and more photos are emerging from set, showing the unbelievable transformation British actress Lily James has undergone to portray the Baywatch star.
Gone is the Disney princess from Cinderella and the carefree dancing girl from Mamma Mia, replaced by a blonde bombshell, oozing sex appeal.
In earlier photos, James’ face looks identical to Anderson’s, prompting Twitter to go into meltdown mode and the likes of Jameela Jamil to call for “whoever turned Lily James into Pamela Anderson” to be given “ALL OF THE AWARDS.”
Now, new images taken of James and her co-star Sebastian Stan depicting Anderson and Lee’s whirlwind beach wedding after meeting each other just 96 hours earlier, prove the transformation goes further than that of the makeup department: James’ body looks incredible. As in, Pamela Anderson 1995 Baywatch dream woman incredible.
So how did Lily James get in shape for the role? Below, we’ve detailed her diet and exercise routine, which she shared a few months prior to filming commencing at the end of 2020, as well as how she’s gotten in shape for roles in the past.
James starts her day with exercise
James told Shape of working out, “I have found that starting my day with exercise is the key. When I work out regularly, I immediately feel the benefits. It’s exciting to be empowered by that, and it turns into a domino effect. Naturally, I start eating better and stop drinking so much wine. Then I feel more energised in the morning to work out again.” She’s been saying this for years, too. In 2012, James told Cosmopolitan, “My ultimate top tip is to drag yourself, even if you have to roll yourself out of your bed and in to a sit-up – it’s really not that bad once you start.”
She burns calories by walking and cycling everywhere she can
“I also just started cycling again,” James told Shape. I cycled everywhere when I moved to London, until my bike got stolen. Then I started taking Ubers. Recently, I got my bike back, and that’s been such a gift. It’s my bit of freedom to ride without having any direction stuck in my mind. It helps me stop overthinking and just connect myself to the present.” She previously told British Vogue she loves to walk, too.
She does yoga and Pilates—and during quarantine, dance
“In lockdown, I had to make exercising fun; otherwise I would lose interest,” James told Shape. I switched up my normal yoga and Pilates for daily dance classes. Early on, I learned this fun dance routine and couldn’t stop doing it. The next day, my neighbour called saying, ‘Oh my God, Lily, you played that song for three and a half hours.’”
She makes sure to mix up her workouts so she actually enjoys them
“Finding that fun is the main thing for me now. I know I have to stay fit, and I know working out is good for me. But when it actually makes me feel better, rather than just something I’m forcing myself to do, it’s such a difference,” she told Shape.
When she’s in London, and training for a role, she works with trainer James Farmer
Ahead of her role in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, James hadn’t done any exercise in a long time. Then Farmer came along. “I mean, I did work really hard. It was five times a week. He’s really inventive, we did a lot of boxing and a lot of swinging of bats against punch bags and coordination and core strength,” James told IMDb of her time with the personal trainer.
She eats everything in moderation and doesn’t ignore her cravings
“Toward the beginning of lockdown, I was cooking all the time. I learned new recipes using fresh vegetables from my garden, such as veggie sweet potato chili, stews, and ratatouille. Over time, I started having days when I managed only enough energy to order takeout, like pizza three times a week,” James told Shape. I had to remind myself that it’s OK to indulge sometimes. I don’t try to deprive myself of stuff. If I want to order fast food, I let myself eat what I want to eat. Now I’m striving for a constant balance between the two.”
But when she’s training specifically for a big role, she’ll cut down on the good stuff
Before her role in Fast Girls, in which she played an athlete, James said her training and diet changed immensely. “It was very intense,” she told Cosmopolitan at the time. “We had about six weeks of training before the film even started. We trained five times a week; running, circuits, weights, working out in the gym, and on the track. It was an insane time. On top of the fitness and the health, we also had a diet plan we had to follow which involved eating between five and six meals a day that were really high in protein, so that meant lots of protein shakes, fish, chicken and no cheating.”
