Alexandra Daddario is no stranger to exotic locations. Perched atop a cruise ship observatory deck five storeys above Monaco’s famous Port Hercules, the bustling waterways alive with private charters beneath her, the actor looks right at home. Through the muffled sounds of popping Champagne and the scurrying of waitstaff boat shoes across the pristinely polished upper deck, the faint tinge of a New York accent rises above.
“I’ve been practising my grade school French to the best I can,” she laughs. “I’m always proud of myself when I pull that off.”
At this time of year, the idyllic setting, just a stone’s throw from where the Hitchcock classic To Catch a Thief was filmed, makes for a fascinating meeting point. In just a few short hours, the principality will play host to an intoxicating cocktail of sport and celebrity, when the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix officially kicks off. If ever there was a place to meet up and talk cinema, style and street-circuits, Monaco would be it. So imagine my surprise when The White Lotus star reveals that, like me, she’s never before stepped foot on the fabled Capriccio-inspired steps of Monte Carlo.
“’I’ve never been here before, and it’s absolutely stunning. I feel like there’s something about the city that doesn’t take itself too seriously, which I love. There’s such a sense of play. And to race cars in the street instead of on a track is a very sort of playful thing to do.”