In her latest interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, the actress, who will appear in the upcoming film The Naked Gun, spoke candidly about aging, identity, and letting go of unrealistic beauty standards.
“I think that with AI technology and filters, people are becoming kind of boring-looking. I want to challenge beauty norms. I’ve always been a rebel.
“I never see somebody and think, 'I want to look like that.' I just want to see who I am. At some point you have to say, 'This is all I’ve got.' Surrender to it. And it’s real happiness. It’s freedom to know you can walk on a red carpet without a stitch of make-up on. I mean, why can’t I? Men do it all the time."
Known worldwide as a former Playboy Playmate, Anderson has moved beyond that image to become an acclaimed actress and a powerful voice for authenticity and self-acceptance.
"I call them the blurry years. I just went on this crazy, wild ride that I had no control over.”
About five years ago, Anderson made the decision to step back from the spotlight. She returned to her roots on Vancouver Island, settling on a property that once belonged to her grandmother.
"I wanted to remember who I was, so I went back to where the trees have known me since birth. I rewrote my life and literally replanted my garden to see what would grow. I thought, 'I’m going to make pickles and jams, and I can be perfectly happy here,” she said.
"Sometimes when you think it’s the end, it’s really the beginning. That’s what it was for me."
As for what’s next, Anderson is keeping things open.
“I’m just going to see where it goes,” she said. “I don’t know what my next incarnation will be, but right now, I want to peel it back. Clean up a little bit and just see: who am I?"
