Alexandra Daddario is proof that you should never stop believing yourself.
The actress has starred in hit movies like Baywatch and Percy Jackson, as well as the Emmy-nominated series The White Lotus, so it's surprising to learn that she was fired after just a year starring on the soap opera All My Children.
But Alexandra said that being let go from her role as Laurie Lewis inspired her to keep learning. "I wasn't a very good actress," she told Women's Health Sept. 7. "I could memorize my lines, but finding my camera, finding my light, even learning how to walk naturally—it took a lot of practice. I knew something was wrong, but I knew I could fix it. I knew that I loved what I did and that I could be better."
Alexandra said she went on to enroll in acting courses, studying the Meisner technique, which is "a lot about repetition." She continued, "Ultimately, the purpose is to create something that's real under imaginary circumstances."
Despite her best efforts, Alexandra said she felt that she still wasn't achieving the standout performances she desired. "In the couple years prior to the pandemic, I knew the work I needed to be doing, but it just wasn't happening," she explained. "I was like, ‘Where am I going?'"
And then Mike White asked her to star in his HBO series The White Lotus, which became a hit during the coronavirus pandemic. "I never expect these things to happen," she told the magazine of the show's success. "They constantly surprise me. I just do what I love."
In reality, it's not all that surprising that Alexandra has done so well—even if she was fired after one year on All My Children. In fact, many stars who appeared on the show have gone on to have successful careers. Case in point: Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Bates, Chadwick Boseman, Melissa Fumero and more had brief runs on the show.
Not to mention, other notable alums Josh Duhamel, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Michael B. Jordan and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
All things considered, Alexandra is in good company!