You may recognize her from the 2015 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and as heir to Pamela Anderson’s cultural touchstone role in the upcoming Baywatch remake, but actress and model Kelly Rohrbach is more than just a beach babe.

Born in Connecticut—about as far from Zuma Beach as you can get—Rohrbach was a golfer in college before becoming smitten with acting. (First she was scouted by Ivan Bart, president of IMG Models, through her manager. She quickly landed Sports Illustrated before making the jump onto the big screen.)

Her first feature couldn’t be much splashier: Seth Gordon’s hotly anticipated movie adaptation of Baywatch, which opens next May. Rohrbach will play C.J. Parker, Pamela Anderson’s starring role in the original early ’90s TV series. That said, she’ll be giving the character a 2017 makeover. “Everyone has a memory of Baywatch, so obviously there’s pressure to live up to that,” Rohrbach explains. “The cast and I wanted to deliver something that was really fresh and new. It’s a little bit of a spoof on the TV show.” As for dream roles, “I like stories that aren’t perfect,” she says, citing Jason Reitman and Alexander Payne as two of her favorite directors. “Life isn’t so perfect, and I like characters that are more complex.”

After shooting for four months in Savannah, Georgia, for Baywatch, the actress and model is back in Los Angeles, where she chatted with The Violet Files about her beach beauty routine and summer skincare essentials. Spoiler: Like her surf-patrolling forebear, Rohrbach prefers a one-piece. Read on for more of the actress’ picks.