Pamela Anderson in ‘Last Showgirl’ and other surprising, spellbinding performances

I saw “The Last Showgirl” and was completely blown away by Pamela Anderson’s performance.

Mostly wearing no makeup, she plays a seasoned Las Vegas showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. It’s literally all she knows and her world quickly disintegrates.

Anderson has been getting accolades and awards buzz, and rightfully so. She wholly commits herself to the role, completely redefining herself from her jiggly TV show “Baywatch” days and sex-pot persona through her tumultuous relationship with bad boy rocker Tommy Lee. “The Last Showgirl” is such a transformative experience, one that makes us root for her (and the character). I love watching actors defy expectations and deliver performances we didn’t know they had in them, simply being revelatory. She is. Here are a few others:

Adam Sandler in “Punch-Drunk Love” (2002) – He completely leaves his goofy comedy days behind as a socially frustrated man prone to violent outbursts who calls a phone-sex line to curb his loneliness. Director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Boogie Night,” “There Will Be Blood”) guides him to a transformative, detailed, roiling performance.

Mo’Nique in “Precious” (2009) – Known primarily for TV sitcom roles, Mo’Nique blew everyone away after the film’s debut at the Sundance Film Festival, with many people saying she was going to win an Oscar – which she did a year later for supporting actress. She created one of the worst yet memorable movie moms ever as Mary Lee Johnston, the lead character’s (played by Gabourey Sidibe, in an astonishing debut performance) monstrous, unemployed, profane, and abusive mother.

Sharon Stone in “Casino” (1995) – A few years after her star-making turn in 1992’s “Basic Instinct,” Stone delivered this surprise performance as a former small-time hustler who turns into a casino grande dame before ending up as a drug addict. Stone usually delivered fine enough, even-keeled performances, but under Martin Scorsese’s direction here, she completely reinvented herself as an actress. She even said in her acceptance speech after winning the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama: “No one is more surprised than me,” and “It’s a miracle.”

Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher” (2014) – Widely known as the lead in the wry TV comedy series “The Office” and such comedy movies as “The 40-Year Old Virgin,” Carell delivered a frankly shocking dramatic performance as real-life multi-millionaire John du Pont (wearing an almost-distracting prosthetic nose) who trains U.S. Olympic wrestling champions and brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz as they prepare for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Carell impressively disappeared into the role and rightly received a best actor Oscar nomination.

Hayden Christensen in “Shattered Glass” (2003) – He was a breakout star being cast as the young Anakin Skywalker in 2002’s “Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones” and 2005’s “Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith,” but he was widely regarded as just a pretty boy whose performances were wooden, at best. That all changed – briefly – with his turn in this riveting biographical drama as Stephen Glass, making us say, “Now where was that all along?” He’s never been as good since.