15 Things You Didn't Know About Baywatch Babe Alexandra Daddario

At this point, chances are you've heard of Alexandra Daddario, the brunette bombshell whose career is heating up. A while back, she had smaller roles and roles in children's films like the Percy Jackson franchise. Then, she made a splash with an acclaimed role on the show True Detective. She stepped onto the big screen in a film aimed at adult rather than youth audiences in the action flick San Andreas, and then made a huge splash when she starred alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron in the new Baywatch movie. And, her career is just getting started.

Now, Daddario isn't exactly over the hill yet, but given how many starlets enter the industry and snag their first huge roles when they're still teenagers, it can be surprising to hear that she's actually been trying to make it in Hollywood since she was just 16. Well, her determination has paid off - because now, everyone wants to see more of the brunette babe with the striking blue eyes.

However, she isn't exactly hugely controversial, and she doesn't like splashing her private life all over the tabloids, so as a result, there isn't much gossip or info circulating about her. If you just want to know a little bit more about who she is and where she comes from, though, we've got you covered - here are 15 things you may not have known about Alexandra Daddario.

15 She comes from a political family, not a show biz family

While the vast majority of starlets hail from regular families, with parents who have regular jobs, there are quite a few individuals in Hollywood who have been exposed to the industry from a young age because their parents are involved. Either they were raised by actors, or their parents have always worked behind the scenes on set in production, lighting, etc., - there's a lot of them. With her glossy good looks and ease in front of the camera (and the fact that her brother is in the industry as well), you might assume that Daddario came from a Hollywood family. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. Her family actually has quite a political past. Her grandfather Emilio served in the U.S. House of Representatives for over a decade, and her father Richard spent a period of time in Moscow working in the U.S. Department of Justice before eventually transferring back to NYC to take on a role of Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism in the NYPD.

14 She grew up on the Upper East Side

Given how many different roles they take on, and how they mold themselves into whatever character they're playing at the moment, it can be tough to guess exactly where certain actors and actresses were raised. A large majority come from random towns in the Midwest; some are born and bred Angelenos, and many travelled south from the Great White North in order to make it in Hollywood. In Alexandra Daddario's case, her upbringing was a little more Gossip Girl than you might have imagined - she grew up on the Upper East Side! Given her strong New York roots, we're kind of surprised she didn't try to make it on Broadway or in live theatre before heading to the glitz and glam of Los Angeles, but hey - it's not as if her career is struggling right now. Given the amount of blockbusters she's been appearing in, she clearly made the right choice - and she can always return to her NYC roots in one-off productions on Broadway, like many successful actors and actresses do.

13 She's not opposed to nudity (for the right roles)

Many actresses have a strict no nudity policy, no matter what. Just think of Sarah Jessica Parker and the fact that she was literally always at least in a nude bra on Sex and the City, while many of her co-stars showed off everything - it's because she had a no nudity clause in her contract. While no actress wants to be objectified and forced to display her body just for someone's entertainment, in some roles, nudity can actually add a lot to the story. That's why actresses who take on roles in indie flicks and grittier television shows often bare it all more frequently than stars who make their money doing blockbusters or sitcoms. Daddario's role on True Detective challenged her, and in a scene with Woody Harrelson, she ends up baring it all for the cameras. She was okay with it because, in her words, “I understood why the nudity and all that was required of the character.”

12 She got her first big role at just 16

There are some starlets who go from never having been on set in their lives to starring in a hit television show - but those cases are few and far between. Most often, stars begin with a series of smaller roles and guest starring appearances before eventually getting their big break in a more challenging role. Daddario is a bit of a combination. She didn't waltz from high school straight onto the set of a hit sitcom, but she did snag a role in the soap opera All My Children at just 16. While the average individual may not know soap opera stars as well as they know A-List movie stars, the fact is, many actors get their start on soaps - and given the quick memorization and shooting schedule required, they're actually a great boot camp for aspiring actors. She moved on eventually, but that early taste of success likely gave her great motivation to keep pursuing an acting career.

11 She likes doing her own stunts whenever possible

Daddario may have the fragile beauty of a porcelain doll, but she's definitely not one to shy away from getting her hands dirty on set. While there are many stars who pride themselves on doing their own stunts and only using their stunt double in truly dangerous scenes, other stars basically let their stunt double do all the hard work - especially if they're not accustomed to being in action flicks where that type of physicality is required. You might assume that Daddario would leave the stunts to her capable stunt double, but the actress actually prefers to get in on the action herself. While she didn't have as many crazy stunts in Baywatch, she's spilled that she did a lot of the stunts herself when starring in San Andreas. Sure, she may not be as muscular as her co-star Dwayne Johnson, but apparently she can totally hold her own.

10 She plays the piano

There are certain skills that actors have to learn when they score certain roles. For example, if you're playing a boxer on camera, you have to learn at least a respectable amount of boxing technique. If you're playing a rock star, you'd better learn how to convincingly fake a guitar solo. In Alexandra Daddario's case, she could easily play a pianist if the right role arose, because she started piano lessons at just nine years old. While she hasn't had much use for the skill since (apart from one scene on Parenthood), she has mentioned that having to memorize music for recitals actually helped train her for all the memorization required of an actress. Not to mention that if she's ever up for a role where piano skills are valued, she'll have a bit of an edge on the other actresses competing for the role.

9 She's a music video veteran

If Alexandra Daddario's face seemed familiar before you ever saw her in any of her film and television roles, there's a reason for that. Before she got her big break in Hollywood, she snagged a couple music video roles. She's most known for being the star in Imagine Dragons' “Radioactive” video (looking far less glamorous than she usually does), as well as playing one of the women strolling through Central Park in the Jones Brothers' “Love Is On Its Way” video. Sure, her roles weren't as iconic as Courteney Cox dancing in Bruce Springsteen's video, but it's a neat tidbit to say you've been in a few music videos before. Sure, appearing in a boy band video might be a little bit embarrassing, but hey - a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get her foot in the door in Hollywood.

8 She loves yoga dates

Daddario keeps it real by admitting something everyone knows to be true - dating, especially at the beginning, can be really awkward. It's great once you get to know the person, but those first stages can be tough. Rather than trying to disguise that fact, she fully embraces it when it comes to her dating solution - by hopping right into the deep end with a yoga date. While you probably wouldn't think twice about going to yoga with your BFF and getting all sweaty, it might seem strange to do so with a potential partner. However, as Daddario says, “they might get grossed out by me because I sweat so much, but that's how you know if they're a keeper.” Given how tough dating is in Hollywood in particular, this seems like a pretty solid plan - weeding out the losers and getting in a good workout all at the same time.

7 She went to an all girls' high school

Nowadays, Daddario often plays the role of the seductress, or the love interest - and she's often starring alongside talented male actors like Dwayne Johnson and Woody Harrelson. Not to mention, she's constantly surrounded by super hot actors at every event she attends. However, back when she was in high school, she wasn't exactly hanging out with the sexiest jocks in the world - because she actually went to an all girls' high school! Seriously, between that and growing up on the Upper East Side with parents involved in the white collar world, we're pretty such Alexandra Daddario could be on the cast of the real world Gossip Girl. The fact that she attended an all girls' high school just continues that image of her as a super glam starlet, with a very different upbringing than the regular stars who just went to public school in a small town.

6 She's still learning all those domestic skills

There are many celebrities out there who embrace certain hobbies, such as cooking - just think of all the stars who have put out cookbooks over the years, like Chrissy Teigen and Gwyneth Paltrow and Freddie Prinze Jr. And, like Khloe Kardashian, there are also celebs who have a reputation for loving things to be clean and organized. However, there are also many celebs who realize that they can simply use their Hollywood salaries and pay someone to do the things they don't love doing, or aren't very good at - like cooking and cleaning. According to Daddario, “after spending a lot of time in hotels, I find I am very bad at being domesticated. Cleaning up dishes, cooking… that's still something I am figuring out.” Fair enough - she got her start at a relatively early age, and hey, if it's something you don't like doing and you can afford to pay someone else to handle that for you, why not?

5 She loves dressing casually when off duty

At this point, Daddario is no stranger to the red carpet, and has appeared countless times looking super glam in full make-up and a stunning gown. She's spoken before about how getting so glammed up can actually be kind of fun, but when she's just hanging out relaxing, don't expect her to rock a bodycon dress and flawless hair and make-up like the Kardashians. When she doesn't need to be in front of the camera, she takes a far more casual approach to style, preferring things like jeans and loose tees to form-fitting dresses or fussy outfits. As she's confessed “when I have no appointments, I spend the day in pajamas and go to the dog park in pajamas. I'm very casual.” That's a woman we can identify with! I mean, who doesn't just want to hang around in your coziest pajamas after a busy week?

4 She has a girl crush on Charlize Theron

Actors aren't exactly a shy bunch, and most of them are totally unafraid to admit whose work they obsess over and who they think always looks flawless on the red carpet. They frequently heap praise on others in the industry, and in Alex Daddario's case, she's totally gushing over Charlize Theron. She spilled all the details, saying that “Charlize Theron is perfect. She holds herself with so much poise and grace. I don't know if she looks so good because she has the best body or because she has the confidence to feel comfortable in what she's wearing.” Probably a little bit of both - but regardless. We can totally see why the actress would admire the South African superstar - we certainly have. And, it's always nice to see when a young starlet can admit to being inspired to others in the industry.

3 She's the oldest of three children

It can be tough to know whether a celebrity comes from a humongous family of ten or is an only child, because people come to Hollywood from such diverse backgrounds, and generally prefer to keep their private and family lives, well, private. However, they'll often spill the beans about a few details, such as how many siblings they have - after all, when you don't want to be hassled about your relationship status or certain topics you'd prefer not to discuss on a talk show appearance, telling a story about one of your siblings from your childhood is a pretty foolproof option. Well, Alexandra Daddario is actually the eldest of three children, and she has both a brother and a sister. Her brother Matthew Daddario, is actually an actor as well. He may not be as big a name yet as his sis Alex, but he's getting there.

2 She has a dog named Levon

Okay, no celebrity and their pet will have as iconic a relationship as Amanda Seyfried and her adorable BFF Finn, but it's still pretty cute to see celebrities with their pets. While everyone loves seeing glimpses into the A-List life on their social media accounts, no one is immune to the power of a good pet shot - and Alexandra Daddario knows that all too well. Her Instagram account includes the regular publicity shots and goofing off shots, but it's also filled with endless pictures of her pooch, Levon. Given what kind of lifestyles they lead, and the fact that they're travelling so often, celebrities really have to be devoted animal lovers to have a dog - and it seems she is. Levon is a total cutie, and her fans probably always love seeing a new shot of him on their feeds.

1 She couldn't get guys when she was a teenager

Alexandra Daddario is a definite bombshell, and while she's taken on meatier roles on shows like True Detective, a lot of her fame has come as a result of that gorgeous face and those piercing blue eyes. The camera absolutely loves her, which makes her an easy choice for magazines looking for a starlet to feature in a photoshoot. However, if you think that her looks mean she's always had guys falling over themselves trying to get to her and ask her out - you'd be wrong. As she told People, “as a teenager, I could never really get guys and I was pretty nerdy. Now I feel like I'm getting my revenge by being a Baywatch babe. I'm like, “you could have had this and now look at me.” We're not sure how true that is - there were probably tons of guys who admired her from afar and just didn't have the guts to approach her when she was a teenager - but she's definitely a babe now.