Anderson first became a star in the cast of the TV show Baywatch, where she played lifeguard C.J. Parker from 1992-96. She also posed for Playboy magazine, adding to her notoriety and positioning her perfectly for the Internet boom of the mid-1990s. Anderson's wild blonde mane and spectacular store-bought bosom made her one of the Web's most-requested and most-downloaded stars (as well as a dependable punch line for comedians and talk show hosts). Her on-again off-again marriage to rock star Tommy Lee and her romantic relationship with Kid Rock also became favorite topics for tabloids. Anderson's film appearances include Barb Wire (1996) and Scary Movie 3 (2003, with fellow bombshell Jenny McCarthy). She also starred in the short-lived TV series, V.I.P. in the late 1990s and provided the voice for the animated series Stripperella. In 2004 she published Star, a novel which seemed to be closely based on her own Hollywood career, and in 2005 she starred in her own comedy television series, Stacked.

Anderson once played the "Tool Time Girl" on the TV sitcom Home Improvement... In 2002, Anderson announced that she had hepatitis C, saying she had picked up the disease by sharing a tattoo needle with Tommy Lee... She was briefly engaged to actor Scott Baio... She has two sons with Lee: Brandon (b. 1996) and Dyla (b. 1997)... Other stars who got a career boost from Baywatch include Yasmine Bleeth, Carmen Electra, Gena Lee Nolin and Brooke Burns.