Catching Up With Alexandra Daddario: Her Broadway Dreams and New Role As Executive Producer

With more than 15 movies and 20 TV roles under her belt—as well as six upcoming projects—Alexandra Daddario is a woman to watch in entertainment. You may know her as the bride-to-be in the 2018 Netflix comedy When We First Met or as last summer's blue-eyed, beach bombshell sharing the screen with Zac Efron in Baywatch. Daddario got her start in acting when she was young, her New York City roots helping her find her footing in a tricky, competitive industry. “I got into acting because I grew up in NYC and I was about 10 or 11 when I started to take acting lessons," she explains. “I thought it was cool to go to auditions, and then I booked little commercials. It's a very comfortable environment to play and be somebody else for a period of time."

The “somebody else" embodied by Daddario that proves recognizable for many millennials is none other than Annabeth Chase, the feisty, clever daughter of Athena. Daddario notes this as one of the roles she cherishes most, as it launched her career on the big screen. “Percy Jackson was my first big movie, and that's what got me out to LA and meeting a lot of different kinds of people, so that was incredible," she says.

Daddario as Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Photo courtesy of USA Today

One would be remiss if they did not ask an actress about her favorite movie, Daddario's being the wildly popular Lady Bird. Add that to your to-watch list, and be sure to include Can You Keep a Secret?, her next major project.

This upcoming project is an especially exciting one because not only will she be the star, she will also be the Executive Producer. The movie is an adaptation of the 2003 novel by New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella.

Daddario will play Emma Corrigan, a young businesswoman in London who accidentally reveals every one of her secrets to the CEO of her company when she thinks their plane is about to crash. What could go wrong after a little, innocent secret-spilling? A lot, probably, but you'll have to wait and see (or be proactive and pick up a copy of the book to prepare).

Daddario says she's been interested in taking on the production side of things for some time, ready to branch out after focusing on acting for the past 15 or so years. “I'm at a point where I can task myself a project and help get financing for it, and that's a really cool thing," she says. “And to empower other women that way, and to have more power over what goes on because I've been very lucky to have worked with a lot of different kinds of people and I've seen when things go wrong and when things go right, and I am very excited to have more control and help bring the project to life." There's no release date for Daddario's debut production quite yet, but be on the lookout. Hopefully someone involved really can't keep a secret, and will give fans a hint soon.

“I'm all about women who are empowering themselves through their work, their relationships, all kinds of things, and I think this is a great opportunity in time to start producing."

Now a seasoned actress and budding producer, Daddario knows the ropes of show business and offers advice to aspiring entertainers. “You never know where it will take you," she admits. “When I first got into acting I did commercials, but I wanted to be the little girl in Les Mis and wanted to be a Broadway Star, then I ended up on TV. You can't really have expectations. You have to work really hard. Don't get caught up in any of the nonsense of the job and do it if you love it...be easy on yourself, you're going to be entering something where you're going to be rejected, 99 out of 100 times. Don't take anything personally." If her great success is any indication of her advice's merit, it should be heeded.

As a clear theatre-enthusiast, when asked of her personal Broadway favorites, Daddario doesn't hesitate to list off a bunch of the shows that resonate with her most. Les Mis, Robin Williams' Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, and Speed-the-Plow are among the standouts. “I like all different kinds of things," she says. “I love going to theatre." And who knows? Perhaps her childhood dreams of making it to Broadway will still come true; Daddario certainly is keen on the idea of finding herself on one of the coveted NYC stages. “Oh, I would love to!" she says enthusiastically. “Yeah, I would absolutely love to. I think it's such a great training ground. I'd love to be in a musical, but I can't sing. I mean, I can a little bit, but not the way they sing in Les Mis."

Singing aside, it's safe to say Daddario's name could one day be seen on a playbill, her face studding city sidewalks and lighting up Times Square.

“I travel a great deal, that's part of being an actress, you travel constantly, your life gets to be very erratic. I'm always getting dirty, and doing what we do as women, we are always active, and so Kleenex Wet Wipes, you throw them in your purse or you have them with you when you're travelling...it's such a great product to have because it's not harsh, it doesn't dry out your skin...it's just one of these things that I always carry around with me like lip balm or mascara."

Alexandra Daddario uses Kleenex® Wet Wipes when she's running from hot yoga class to meet up with friends and stayed refreshed with them at Governors Ball in New York. Photo courtesy of Michael Simon / StarTraks for Kimberly-Clark