From Soap Operas to Greek Mythology

Alexandra Daddario has been acting since the age of 11, appearing on television in the soap opera All My Children for a season, as well as episodes of Law & Order, Nurse Jackie, and The Sopranos. Her latest role as Annabeth, the tough-as-nails daughter of Greek goddess Athena in the adventure-fantasy film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, is the 24-year-old’s biggest to date and also her most challenging.

“The physical activitly at the beginning was daunting. I had about three weeks of training because I was cast after the boys so I had a bit of catch-up to do with looking cool with the sword choreography and things like that. A lot of it was getting into shape and working towards the strenuous physical activity we did on set,” she says of the part.

Daddario admits she never read the Rick Riordan book series the film is based on because the stories were geared toward a younger audience. After getting the part she picked them up though, and says she enjoyed them immensely.

“One of the great things about these fantasy books is that they inspire people to do anything they want to do,” she says. “You can be as great and amazing as you want to be and it’s a good way to teach people that. It helps them relate to it I think.”

Directed by Chris Columbus, who also brought the first two Harry Potter films to fruition, Daddario has nothing but praise for how he handled the set.

“He’s honest and funny and extremely brilliant. He makes it look easy and it’s a very hard thing to do to keep a set together and captain so many people. Especially on such a complicated film,” she states.

She’s remained friends with castmates Logan Lerman and Brandon T. Jackson ever since, also something she thanks Columbus for.

“We have a great chemistry and I give Chris credit for casting really wonderful personalities. We got along really well and are still friends to this day. They’re really smart guys who love film,” she says.

When asked why people should pick up Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief now that it’s available on Blu-ray and DVD she sums it up perfectly: “You have Uma Thurman with snakes on her head and Pierce Brosnan as a half-man, half-horse — it’s a really, really exciting film!”

While she hasn’t yet heard when the inevitable Percy Jackson sequel will begin production, she will be seen next in the Farrelly Bros. comedy Hall Pass, staring Owen Wilson and Jenna Fischer. It hits theatres in February of 2011 and Daddario says it’s “hilarious.”

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com

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