One of professional wrestling’s most recognizable names has opened up about an awkward encounter with a Hollywood star.
Rob Van Dam built his reputation in ECW with a distinctive athletic style before joining WWE, where he captured the Money in the Bank briefcase and went on to win the WWE Championship. He later found continued success in TNA Wrestling. Back in 2000, as his profile was rising, RVD landed a guest role on Pamela Anderson’s action-comedy series V.I.P., playing an army major named Ving Talbot. By his own admission, the experience did not include the friendliest interaction with the show’s lead.
RVD Says He Should Have Handled Pamela Anderson Meeting Differently
On his One of a Kind podcast, Van Dam was asked about celebrities he met who turned out to be wrestling fans. He responded by acknowledging that he missed an opportunity to show gratitude to Anderson for the guest appearance.
“I’ve talked about when I was on Pam Anderson’s show and I should have thanked her for having me on and been kissing her a**, at least thankful and grateful. Instead, I didn’t really talk to her.”
RVD noted that Anderson introduced herself, though she mispronounced his name, and he now wishes he had been more personable.
“She introduced herself and she was like, well, she kind of did by saying my name. She said, Rob Von Don.
Looking back at it, my head was up my a** and I should have been a lot cooler to her.”
He also recognized that, as executive producer, Anderson likely played a role in securing his guest spot.
“I never even thought like that at the moment. I didn’t even think about, you know, that as executive producer, she might have had a lot to do with even hiring the guest stars on there.”
Van Dam reiterated that he should have expressed thanks, explaining he mistakenly assumed he was just another extra rather than a featured guest.
“Definitely enough to thank her for. Instead, I was just thinking like, uh, she isn’t who I am. I’m just an extra on the set or something to her.
That’s kind of what I thought, which of course that’s not how it is when there’s a guest spot. That’s what it was.”
Since that time, RVD has continued to grow both professionally and personally.
