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Pamela Anderson Says Her ‘Unexpected’ Broadway Debut in Chicago Is a ‘Moment for Me to Shine’

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Pamela Anderson is ready for her comeback.

The Baywatch actress, 54, will soon make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart — a wannabe vaudevillian who murders a man she is having an affair with and becomes famous as a result — in Chicago. The eight-week engagement is set for April 12 through June 5 at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City.

Appearing on Good Morning America Wednesday, Anderson admitted the demanding career move is “unexpected” for her, but said it was time for her to reenter the spotlight.

“It’s good timing. My kids are grown. My kids are my biggest cheerleaders,” she said. “… I feel like it’s time. I need a challenge. I needed to do something. I needed this. I’ve been kind of gone for a while, you know, and I’m back.”

Anderson explained she likes to push herself to the point where she gets the “crazy feeling that you can’t do something and then you surprise yourself.”

RELATED: Pamela Anderson Will ‘Tell the Real Story’ in Netflix Documentary: ‘Not a Victim, But a Survivor’

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“You don’t know what you’re capable of until you try it. So that’s what I’m really curious about is what can I actually do? Because I kind of haven’t applied myself to much in my life, except for my children. This is a really great opportunity for me. I’m just so blessed and lucky. I’m just jumping off the bridge into it and doing everything I can, and I’m surprising myself singing and dancing. The role is fantastic.”

pamela anderson
pamela anderson

Raymond Hall/GC Images

“It’s just unbelievable that anyone even offered me this kind of role, so I’m gonna give it all I have. I’m not gonna let myself down; I’m not gonna let my family down. I feel like this is really a moment for me to shine. I’m doing this for myself, which is rare,” said Anderson.

Looking back at starting her career on TV with Baywatch, she said, “I didn’t know if I was capable of that, now I don’t know if I’m capable of this. But I have a feeling I am. And I’m gonna go for it.”

It’s all “unexpected and much appreciated,” she added.

Other big names who have portrayed Roxie’s dance shoes onstage over the years include Ann Reinking, Ashlee Simpson Ross and Michelle Williams, as well as Renée Zellweger in the 2002 Chicago film adaptation opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones as rival and fellow murderess Velma Kelly.

Anderson will also soon open up about her storied life in an upcoming documentary for Netflix. The project has been in the works for several years.

An official logline for the “definitive” movie calls it an “intimate portrait embedded in the life of Pamela Anderson as she looks back at her professional and personal path and prepares for the next steps on her journey.”