Dune star Dave Bautista has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest and brightest stars, but he’s only felt starstruck once. That moment dates back to the 1990s when the professional wrestler-turned-actor was still working as a bouncer in his hometown. The actress that left Bautista in awe and walking “around in circles” was Jamie Lee Curtis; the two now star in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl. While speaking with the press (via The Hollywood Reporter on X) on the Toronto International Film Festival red carpet, Bautista recalled the moment he first saw Curtis:
“I was in Washington D.C. and still bouncing at the time. I got dropped off at this convenience store, and it was raining. I got out of the car, and I was running into the store, and I almost ran into this woman, and I looked up, and it was Jamie Lee Curtis. And I didn’t know what to say. I was just starstruck. I just turned, and I walked into the store, and I walked around in circles.”
Curtis’ multifaceted decades-long career dates back to her breakout role as final girl Laurie Strode in 1978’s Halloween. Through the 1980s, she garnered acclaim for her work on Trading Places and A Fish Called Wanda. Her success continued into the 1990s and beyond, with roles in projects including True Lies, Freaky Friday, and Scream Queens. There’s also her recent Academy Award-winning performance in 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once. Given his first run-in with Curtis and her impressive (and ongoing) body of work in the industry, it’s easy to understand why Bautista would say working with her in The Last Showgirl was “intimidating.”
Praise for Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl
Curtis has also shared kind words about one of the film’s stars, Pamela Anderson. Anderson leads The Last Showgirl as Shelley, a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. Curtis says she only took the role of Annette in the film to work alongside Anderson, whom she called (via PEOPLE) a “transcendent creature,” who is “so smart and deeply spiritual and soulful. And beautiful!” She added:
“She’s been very honest about how society has treated her. But I hope we will all have a newfound appreciation for her talents after they see the movie.”
The Last Showgirl premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6. Although the reviews are limited, they point to a stellar outing. And Curtis isn’t the only one singing Anderson’s praises. Exclaim proclaims that the “Pamaissance is here,” while IndieWire‘s review shares:
“The Last Showgirl is both the role of a lifetime for Anderson, one that can fully capture her incredible emotional intensity and vulnerability, and (we can only hope) the start of a brand new career for her.”