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with a sigh. “They know how to
keep me in check all right.” She
goes on: “Awkward is the under-
statement of my youth. Have you
ever worn Bermuda shorts?” she
asks, referring to the de rigueur
golf attire. “Nobody looks good
in them, not even Gisele! When
I was a kid, I was always on the
course with my dad and his
60-year-old friends. In middle
school, I played on a team that
was all high school guys. Coming
from an all-girls’ school, I had
barely ever talked to boys,” she
says. “It is a male sport, but the
older I get, the cooler I see it is for
women to play. It’s one of the few,
if only, sports that’s a true equal-
izer for men and women.”
During her sophomore year
at Georgetown, Kelly randomly
took an acting class because it
had a reputation of being an easy
A, but it changed her life course
entirely. “I walked into the class
and was like, oh, this is home.”
She ended her tenure as a college
athlete, changed her major to
theater, and spent her junior year
studying at the London Academy
of Music and Dramatic Art.
Postgraduation, she made her
way to Los Angeles. She landed
small but memorable roles on
episodes of Two and a Half Men,
Rizzoli and Isles, and Broad City
before her manager urged her
to meet with IMG, the famed
agency that represents mega-
models like Gigi and Bella Hadid
and Miranda Kerr. In 2015,
she won the Sports Illustrated
Swimsuit Issue Rookie of the
Year Award, not so subtly fore-
shadowing her breakout role
as C.J. Parker (made famous by
Pamela Anderson) in May’s long-
anticipated Baywatch reboot,
which also stars Dwayne Johnson
(aka The Rock) and Zac Efron.If the Suit Fits
Kelly was intent on putting
her own spin on the bombshell
character. “When I first read the
script, I loved it, but her part was
lacking depth,” she says. “I wasn’t
interested in playing the hot-girl
role. I didn’t want her to be an
object but rather a dynamic, real
person.” She urged the director,
Seth Gordon, and his staff to
rewrite. “Originally, my romantic
interest, played by Jon Bass, is a
Jonah Hill type. It was written
that he had a big crush on [C.J.]
and she’s kind of a bitch to him.
I kept thinking, I would love this
guy. I would hook up with him.
He’s the funniest character, and
to me, humor is the sexiest thing.”
While the red one-piece Kelly
sports in the movie is even sex-
ier than Pam’s—who knew that
was possible?!—it has one cru-
cial update: “It’s scuba material,
which is awesome because it’s
literally like wearing Spanx that
suck you right in,” she explains
as we peek at the dessert menu.
“I was like, cheeseburgers, no
problem. Just zip that thing up
and it’s like it never happened.”She adds: “I’m not very glamor-
ous. People ask who my favor-
ite designers are, and I’m like,
‘Lululemon?’” She’s not lying.
If you look at paparazzi photos
of Kelly, she’s almost always in
trusty overalls, leggings, sweat-
shirts, jeans, or sneakers.Whatever,
Dudes
Comfortable, casual, laid-back
Kelly isn’t about to conform to
anyone’s expectations—fashion
or otherwise. “In relationships,
it’s important to me to main-
tain my fullness as an individ-
ual. I’m a big believer in having
your own life. Self-worth and
confidence come from doing—
making sure you’re constantly
growing. It helps you be a better
partner and person.”
Don’t expect her to broadcast
any new love interests anytime
soon. “I’m private. I am sure
if I were 20 and had a boyfriend,
I’d be putting it all over Insta-
gram,” she proclaims. “My
Instagram kind of sucks. I don’t
feel the need to share what I’m
doing with the world. I don’t
have FOMO, so to me, social
media feels like bragging.”
Okay, no FOMO, but she
certainly knows she’s #Blessed.
“Yesterday, I went for a run, and
it was the most beautiful day. I
smiled, thinking, Oh my god,
I’m 27 and I’m healthy, I’m liv-
ing my dream, and I feel very
grateful. I don’t take one second
for granted.” Her 10-year plan
is simple: “To live in Malibu
and walk around with sand on
my feet, playing with my little
surfer kids year-round. You
know those beachy people who
never really have clothes on? No
shirt, no shoes, no problem!”
she exclaims, perfectly timed to
the arrival of our dessert. ■“I wasn’t interested
in playing the hot-girl
role. I didn’t want her
to be an object.”