Pamela Anderson has been left stunned to learn her new movie Blonde & Blonder looks set to be a hit because she felt sure it would be a straight-to-DVD release.

The former Baywatch babe insists she took the role of a bubbly blonde, mistaken for a killer, so she could have fun in her native Vancouver, Canada with her brother Jerry, the film’s director, and co-star Denise Richards.

But, thanks to the ongoing Hollywood writers strike and Anderson’s willingness to cross picket lines outside TV studios, she has become an in-demand chat show guest, and the film is getting plenty of hype.

And now, even studio bosses feel sure the comedy will be a hit.

Anderson admits, "I thought, ‘It’ll go direct to video. It’ll be fun. No one will ever see it.’ "Now it’s, like, hitting theatres, so I’m really surprised. I didn’t know you could make a movie in nine days but you can.

"It was nice to go home to Vancouver and work with my brother… I’ll run around in funny outfits anytime - and we did!"

Anderson tells U.S. news show Access Hollywood she’s still baffled when she gets scripts and offers to play leading ladies because she’s just a model who got lucky.

She adds, "I don’t consider myself an actress. I’m a performer, a good performer."