In a career that has spanned more than 20 years, Alexandra Daddario has had many roles. She played parts in the Percy Jackson and Baywatch franchises, as well as starring opposite Matt Barr and Kate Upton in the comedy Layover.
In between these big roles, she's also taken on smaller roles in shows like American Horror Story and Why Women Kill. Now, at 36 years old, she's once again taking on a leading role with her role as Dr. Rowan Mayfair in The Mayfair Witches (based on a book series by Ann Rice). With so many great projects under her belt already, here are some of Alexandra Daddario's best performances—and why they're worth watching:
Alexandra Daddario Is Evolving And Growing
Alexandra Daddario is proving her long acting career has not stopped evolving and growing. After starting in an episode of All My Children at age 16, she has gone on to star in several high-profile projects that have made her name much more well known.
In 2010, she had a breakout role as Annabeth Chase in the Percy Jackson series of films based on Rick Riordan's best-selling novels. Since then, she's starred as Summer Quinn in Baywatch (2017), Lisa Tragnetti alongside Matthew McCaugnahey and Woody Harilson in True Detective (2014), Avery Martin opposite Adam DeVine in When We First Met (2018) and Emma Corrigan in Can You Keep A Secret (2019). But now Alexandra Daddario is taking on more lead roles and we are seeing she is far from done with her career.
From All My Children to Baywatch
Alexandra Daddario was a 16-year-old when she made her first appearance on All My Children. A lot of famous faces got their start there as well. She played Laurie Lewis, and had a part for just under a year. The soap opera was the perfect place for the young actor to start. Daddario moved on and pursued her career quickly after it ended.
Daddario played Annabeth Chase, a demigod daughter of the Greek goddess Athena and girlfriend to Percy Jackson, in the franchise's movies. This seemed to be a breakout role for Alexandra, who goes by Alex. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for this performance.
In 2017, Alexandra Daddario starred alongside Zac Efron and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the Baywatch movie. The film was a comedy that brought back the '90s television series, but with a modern twist. Alexandra plays Summer Quinn, a beautiful beach lifeguard.
In an interview with Forbes, Alexandra said they had all become such good friends of hers. "I love that we motivated each other to work out and it made the entire experience really fun."
Alexandra Daddario Snags White Lotus
An all-star cast visits a resort and lets loose their most opulent, primal instincts. The show is a biting social satire that follows the antics of various resort guests and staff members whose varied afflictions have an impact on their ability to enjoy their vacation at the fictional White Lotus brand of hotels. As travelers unwind and revitalize in paradise, a week in their lives is revealed. Each day reveals a deeper complexity in these picture-perfect guests, the jovial hotel staff, and the gorgeous setting itself.
Alexandra's character, Rachael Patton, is an aspiring journalist on her honeymoon at the five-star resort in Maui. Shane Patton and Rachel, who recently got married, are guests at The White Lotus. Shane is dissatisfied since they are staying in the most opulent suite Rachel has ever seen. He is determined to set things right because it is not the suite that his mother paid for.
This adds to Rachael's already gloomy outlook on her marriage as she thinks she has made a big mistake marrying him. However, it's the trouble with the room that really takes over their story line. She earned an Emmy nomination for this role.
The Mayfair Witches
Now, Alexandra Daddario is taking on a role that's a little different than her previous roles. In the new AMC series The Mayfair Witches, based on the best-selling novel by Ann Rice, Daddario plays Rowan Mayfair—a doctor who comes from a long line of dark and disturbing witchcraft; only she has no idea what or who she truly is.
According to Daddario, the complexity of the new AMC series, which is based on Rice's well-known horror trilogy, The Lives of the Mayfair Witches from the 1990s, is what attracted her in. One may also get the impression that Rowan's less moral tendencies were enticing as well.
With the help of Rice's writing, AMC intends to create a TV universe with its second major series, "Mayfair Witches." In 2020, the year before her passing, AMC purchased the rights to 18 of Rice's works, including the Mayfair trilogy and other installments of her wildly popular Vampire Chronicles series. At least five Rice-based programs are planned for AMC, with "Interview With the Vampire" being the first to air on the network.
In an interview with The New York Times Esta Spalding, who created and executive produced the series with Michelle Ashford said, "The tricky thing about this part is that she's going to become a witch, but she starts out a surgeon," Spalding said. "So you have to believe this woman is going to stride through the hallways of a hospital and open a person's brain up and do an operation."
Spalding and Ashford knew they would face a significant challenge in condensing Rowan's story into eight episodes: The first book in the series, "The Witching Hour," runs more than 1,000 pages. Tune in on Sunday nights on AMC to see how they did.
