Alexandra Daddario's Iconic Moments That Make Us Love Her Even More

Alexandra Daddario has had a varied and exciting career since her TV debut in "All My Children." She initially rose to prominence playing Annabeth Chase in the film adaptation of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," but it was her buzzy role in "True Detective" that really put her on the map. She started popping up everywhere following her turn in the hit HBO show, though not all of her projects have been received well by critics and audiences. 

Over the course of her career, Daddario has acted in a wide range of projects, from franchise horror films to prestige TV dramas and even a fair share of raunchy comedy films. Along the way, there have been many memorable moments, both on-screen and off. What all of these roles, appearances, and stories have in common is that they've completely endeared audiences to Daddario as a person, not just as an actor. 

While there are plenty of little known facts about Alexandra Daddario, these career highlights are among her most notable and recognizable. Whether it's a specific scene from her most memorable work or a peek at how she conducts herself between takes, it's hard to walk away from any of these moments without a growing affection for the talented star. These are Daddario's most iconic moments that make us love her even more.

Alexandra Daddario has made many memorable appearances in hit comedy shows, from her brief stint in "New Girl" to a cameo in the pilot of "The Last Man on Earth." However, the most iconic of the bunch has to be her guest role on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." In the episode "Charlie and Dee Find Love," Charlie and Dee end up going on a double date with members of Philly's wealthiest family. Daddario's Ruby Taft falls hard for Charlie, but things don't end well for her, despite how accepting she seems to be of Charlie's quirks and flaws.

In the end, it's revealed that Charlie was simply using Ruby as a way to make the waitress, his true love, jealous (which works like a charm). Charlie ends up chewing Ruby out for being so naïve, resulting in her running off crying. Daddario's experience on "Always Sunny" was just as memorable for her as it was for viewers, because she was a massive fan of the show even before she was cast. Considering Ruby is one of the more likable characters in "Always Sunny" (given that they usually range from horrible to truly horrible), it's not hard to see why audiences were charmed by her performance. 

There have been plenty of pause-worthy kisses in TV history, but if you're a fan of "American Horror Story," then you probably have a soft spot for the first time Alexandra Daddario and Lady Gaga lock lips in "Hotel" — Daddario certainly does. In 2015, she played a recurring role in the fifth season of the hit horror anthology, appearing as real-life Hollywood costume designer Natacha Rambova. Lady Gaga plays the Countess Elizabeth, who becomes romantically entangled in the marriage between Natacha and her husband, real-life actor Rudolph Valentino, played by Finn Wittrock. 

Natacha and Elizabeth kiss several times during their relationship, which comes to a violent end: In one iconic scene from the season's 10th episode, "She Gets Revenge," Elizabeth and Natacha become involved in a confrontation that ends with Elizabeth coldly shooting Natacha in the head. "Hotel" is far from the scariest season of "American Horror Story," but this moment stands out as being particularly shocking. The experience was a memorable one for Daddario, who told Cosmopolitan: "How lucky am I that I got to work with Lady Gaga? What an amazing woman. She may have been my best onscreen kiss."

If "Baywatch" was a trial run for Alexandra Daddario's potential as a comedy leading lady, 2017's "The Layover" was like the Olympics. The film, directed by William H. Macy, stars her and Kate Upton as roommates who begin competing over a hot firefighter during an extended layover. Sadly, the film did not impress critics — it belongs to the dreaded 0% club on Rotten Tomatoes. In their review, Vijay Varman from Circle of Cinema said: "The last time Hollywood released a film with female portrayals this bad was in the Kate Hudson/Anne Hathaway-starring 'Bride Wars.'"

Needless to say, the film itself is not one of the high points of Daddario's career, but if "The Layover" has one redeeming quality, it's Daddario's committed comedic performance. She shines as her antics bring about moments of physical comedy that make you wonder why she hasn't done more of it. Her unhinged energy after an unfortunate incident in a filthy restroom (which leads to her cleaning herself down with a garden hose) is undeniably hilarious. While the film was a huge flop, this scene remains iconic for fans of Daddario.

"Can You Keep a Secret?" was a significant step for Alexandra Daddario for a number of reasons. Firstly, the film was her first credit as an executive producer. "I think that's also a testament to how Hollywood is changing and allowing women to have more power over what they're doing," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "And it's also a testament to how long I've been doing this, and it's exciting to have reached that point." The movie also marked her first rom-com leading role.

Daddario plays a woman called Emma, who meets a stranger (Tyler Hoechlin) on an airplane and subsequently begins a relationship with him, only for them to grow distrustful over each other's secrets. The two hit it off during some turbulence, with Emma drunkenly confessing all of her personal issues and regrets. She comes out with things like "I've never gotten a tattoo," "I don't even know if I have a G-spot," and "I wish that I knew what it was like to have a penis." Daddario later confirmed to Cosmopolitan that the film involved a lot of improv, particularly in that scene, with many of her rambling confessions being ad-libs.

Another iconic Alexandra Daddario moment happened when she returned to HBO for the anthology series "The White Lotus." The show, which centers on the staff and guests of a fictional hotel resort, finds Daddario playing Rachel, one half of a married couple. She begins to discover cracks in her relationship, culminating in a scene where Rachel confronts her spouse Shane (Jake Lacy). Her "plus one" monologue in "The White Lotus" is nothing short of an exquisite performance (a broken-hearted Rachel admits she got carried away in her relationship and has lost track of who she is), and it no doubt contributed to her getting an Emmy nomination.

In the end, Rachel decides to stay with Shane, though she's clearly not entirely happy about it. After a brief separation, they encounter one another at the airport, and one of her final lines is "I promise I'll be happy." Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about this line, Daddario said: "I've actually said that or some version of that to a boyfriend before. [Rachel's] now married. She has money. She's in this resort and Shane's like, 'What's the problem here? You're causing all this.' Just by being vulnerable and trying to express how she's feeling, she feels like she's in trouble." This was undoubtedly one of the best performances of Daddario's career to date, and Lacy was also great as her spoiled, rich husband, with the pair earning high praise from TV Line among other outlets.

In AMC's "Mayfair Witches," an adaptation of Anne Rice's trilogy of novels, Alexandra Daddario stars as Rowan Fielding, a neurosurgeon who discovers that she's part of a dynasty of witches with latent powers. This becomes apparent from the show's earliest moments: One scene from the first episode, "The Witching Hour," puts Daddario's acting chops on full display as Rowan has a badass moment of empowerment.

In the scene, Rowan tries to get her mother into a cancer treatment program, only to be told by her boss that there's only room in the program for 30 patients. After forcing Rowan to choose a person to kick out in place of her mother, Rowan angrily tells him off for being a manipulative person. She unintentionally harnesses her powers to give him a brain hemorrhage, killing him on the spot. It's an engrossing scene that sets the tone for the series.

"You are dealing with a character that is already navigating real-life problems and extreme grief, and you don't know what to expect from her," Daddario said of Rowan, who has the potential to be a career-defining character for the actor, during a Variety interview. "Then she's given all this power and control. It was really fascinating to dive into, because this is someone who is figuring out who she is, probably for the first time, and that can be a very volatile place for a person."