Lake Bell talks directing Pam & Tommy and feeling protective of Pamela Anderson's story

Variety

Bell succeeded Craig Gillespie, who directed the first three episodes, helming Episodes 4 and 7. "Yes. Four is when there is a tonal shift, and I knew that I had that responsibility to alley-oop the rest of this emotional journey," says Bell. "We can see that in the beautiful writing. Lily (James) and I prepared a lot and talked about that scene particularly that you referenced — these moments where Pam gets to really advocate for herself and crystallize why it’s different for a man than it is a woman. That, in plain view, is changing. You hear it through the mouth of this woman who, in the first three episodes, you’ve become enamored by because of her beauty, her freedom, her expression, her body and her levity. Then you see this sweet person, who is very much human and understands the currency of what culture has asked of her, get grossly taken advantage of in a way that just gets so unwieldy."