Few people have rocked a swimsuit as well as Alexandra Daddario has onscreen in gigs like Baywatch and the first season of The White Lotus on HBO. However, what does it actually feel like to be a part of projects featuring such iconic swimwear moments? It’s a question the actress has actually been asked.
If you’ve seen Daddario in the 2017 film opposite The Rock, Zac Efron and more, you should know the flick made some changes to the iconic suit. Daddario’s called her version of the suit that Carmen Electra, Pamela Anderson, and others previously sported an “homage to the original,” noting that one major difference was a “zipper down the front.” However, despite the changes, she told MTV at the movie premiere the allure of being a “Baywatch babe” was very real.
It was amazing. And I think like to be a Baywatch babe, it feels very cool. So it made me feel like a much sexier, hotter version of myself. Of my everyday self.
Of course, looking that good generally comes with a bit of discomfort. Her costume in the movie was no exception. She admitted the suit was “tight,” but honestly it didn’t seem like she minded all that much. Given some of the horror stories we’ve heard from other movie sets about actors having to pee in superhero suits (looking at you Tom Holland) things probably could have been much worse.
It also felt tight. It rode up a little bit. But it also sort of kept everything in place so it was like a pair of Spanx. Yeah.
Alexandra Daddario still gets asked about the gig frequently. Recently, she revealed Baywatch negatively impacted her career, but she admitted she’s still “glad” she took the role. When the movie was coming out she spoke about how playing her character Summer Quinn was about having “confidence” and about focusing on “your whole self” – of course including one’s physical self.
It’s not the only time what she’s worn has dominated the conversation. Daddario’s also talked about the white bikini she sported in The White Lotus in a notable scene where she was spoken down to by a couple of teenagers, only to one-up them with a slow motion walk into the pool. She said the scene really was a great encapsulation of the “power struggle” each of the characters was going through during the course of Season 1 of the HBO drama.
It's clear the moment resonated with fans and the cast knows it. The actress and fellow star Sydney Sweeney have also thrown back to the viral bikini moment in the time since.
Meanwhile, Baywatch was not a great critical success, yet it did have a heavy impact on Alexandra Daddario’s career in Hollywood, and she’s really worked to shift focus and make a name for herself outside of viral swimsuit moments thanks to her work in Mayfair Witches and other recent projects. Still, I'd say there are worse things to be known for than rocking one of the most iconic swimsuits of all time.
