Alexandra Daddario Once Found It Unnerving Being Nude in ‘True Detective’

Actor Alexandra Daddario saw her popularity grow after starring in True Detective. But she admitted to feeling a bit unnerved with having to be nude in front of the camera.

‘True Detective’ changed Alexandra Daddario’s career

Daddario already had experience in the film industry. Before True Detective, the young actor had films like the Percy Jackson series and the comedy Hall Pass under her belt. But she credited True Detective for having a significant impact on her career unlike any other. In the beginning, she saw doing True Detective as a strategic move for her career.

“The tactical decision was, I went in for the audition and they seemed vaguely interested, and it was for a different role and I was like, ‘Well, they’re vaguely interested and I love these actors and I love [True Detective director] Cary Fukunaga and I want to be in this show, so let me force them to hire me,” Daddario told Collider. “I thought I need something on my resume that shows that I can do something different, or something.”

Her strategy paid off, but perhaps more than she expected it to. Daddario underestimated the scope and attention that role would bring.

“I didn’t expect to have what I had happen happen, which was – it’s a long time ago now – getting naked on a show where I didn’t have a huge role, I didn’t know what to expect,” she continued. “And then of course that episode aired and my manager called, and I’ll never forget it, I was sitting on my boyfriend’s couch and she calls me in the morning after the episode aired and she was like, ‘The phone’s been ringing off the hook all morning. The phone won’t stop ringing!’ And all of a sudden, everyone in town wanted to meet with me and then I booked San Andreas.”

Alexandra Daddario felt a bit unnerved being nude for ‘True Detective’

Although True Detective brought Daddario much good fortune, she did find doing a nude scene in the film challenging. It was the first time the actor undressed herself for the camera. But she realized her nudity served a narrative purpose for the popular TV show, which made things easier.

“It was the first time I was nude for anything, so I was definitely unnerved by that, but I think any implied misogyny is a result of defining the characters,” Daddario once told Interview. “You see Woody Harrelson’s character as a family guy and then, all of a sudden, you see him in this very sexual situation with this naked girl. It just completely changes the way you see him.”

Alexandra Daddario’s ‘True Detective’ co-star Woody Harrelson helped her through nude scene

True Detective starred both Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as the leads. Harrelson in particular proved to be of great help to Daddario during her nude scene. Being a veteran in the business, Harrelson was able to use his experience to put his co-star at ease.

“Woody has done so many different things. He made the whole situation very comfortable,” Daddario said in a 2014 MTV News interview. “It wasn’t anything awkward in that sense. I tried not to think about it too much before shooting the more intimate scenes and just sort of did it. [Harrelson] has been there done that. He’s Woody Harrelson. If there’s anybody that I was going to be comfortable with, it’s somebody like him.”