If you only just became familiar with Kaylee Bryant because of her role on Legacies [1], you've been missing out. Though she may be best known as Josie Saltzman [2] on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals spinoff series, the 21-year-old beauty has been working on her résumé for years, landing guests roles like Sarah in Santa Clarita Diet and Lacey in The Real O'Neals, as well as a starring role in the 2014 thriller Mary Loss of Soul. Here are all of the fun facts you should know about the rising star before her career takes off in a big way.
She Was a Huge Fan of The Vampire Diaries Before Being Cast on Legacies
Before landing the role of Josie Saltzman, Kaylee was already a devoted fan [4] of The Vampire Diaries and its spinoff, The Originals, which puts additional pressure on her to play Josie just the right way. "I started watching when I was 15, with my mom, on Netflix, binged it, then I started watching it week by week," she said. "So it was something I always really loved and . . . I take it a little too seriously sometimes. I feel like I'm constantly obligated to make sure that I'm doing right by the fans, because I was a fan."
When She and Jenny Boyd Were First Cast, They Didn't Know Which Twin They Would Play
When Kaylee and her castmate Jenny Boyd were told they'd landed a part on Legacies, they knew they would be playing either Josie or Lizzie — they just didn't know who would be who [5], and the ambiguity actually turned into a fun bonding situation for the actresses. "We ended up actually meeting for coffee, a couple times, when we were both still in Los Angeles," Kaylee explained to Collider, "and we both joked around about who would be who, and who would have to go blonde, and it morphed into this really great thing."
She Created a Diary and a Playlist For Her Legacies Character
Kaylee doesn't just play Josie on screen — she lives her character through her own imagination [6] when the cameras aren't rolling as well. ". . . every single episode I write a letter to whatever character is interacting with Josie the most," she explained to Entertainment Tonight. ". . . I have letters to Hope, I have letters to my dad, I have letters to Lizzie, the list goes on. And I have a playlist as well. It kind of helps me get into her mind space."
She Began Modelling at the Age of 7
Before Kaylee moved into acting, she started out as a child model for Ralph Lauren [7]. "I started modelling at age seven and was fortunate to do seven seasons of Ralph Lauren until I was around ten years old," she revealed back in 2013. "I loved being on set and working, but I wanted to do more. That's when I started to transition into TV and movies."
Her Childhood Dream Roles? Mulan or Wednesday Addams
Kaylee grew up watching Disney movies, and it was these films that first inspired her to become an actress [8]. "I remember watching Disney movies constantly on repeat since I was six years old and pretending I was sick so I could stay home from school to watch them," she told Avante Magazine. "I very clearly remember wanting to become Mulan or Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family."
Her Role Models Are Carey Mulligan, Michelle Williams, and Alicia Vikander
When asked by Mood Magazine about her favourite actresses, Kaylee explained that she admired performers who "do their homework" before coming on set, but then allow themselves the freedom to perform with some spontaneity [9] rather than simply proving they'd studied their lines. "Carey Mulligan [10], Michelle Williams [11], and Alicia Vikander," she named as her favourites. "I could tell you so many reasons why I love these actresses. All three have a way of being incredibly honest and real on screen . . . Raw, honest and beautiful."
She Has an Insanely Good Singing Voice
If you saw the Legacies episode with the Salvatore School's talent show, then you're probably wondering if Kaylee is actually singing, and the answer is absolutely. The decision to put in this bit happened with a little help from Kaylee's manager [12], who sent Legacies producer Julie Plec a video of 14-year-old Kaylee performing before the show even began filming. Seriously, just watch her cover [13] of Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive."
She Plays the Ukulele
As well as being an incredible singer, Kaylee also plays the ukulele in her spare time [14]. She even asked Julie Plec to write in a scene where she could show off her skills so her grandfather could see. "Thank you thank you thank you @julieplec," she tweeted [15]. "I told my Grandpa about tonight's episode and he couldn't have been more happy/proud."
She Also Taught Herself How to Play the Cello
The ukulele isn't the only instrument Kaylee plays — she also has been dabbling with the cello, though she doesn't have as much time to practice as she'd like [16]. "My friend gave me a free cello lesson as a gift and rented a cello for me," she told Sweety High. "I had a lot of fun and wish I had more time to commit to learning it as it's a complex and intricate instrument."
She Started Her Own Book Club
Back in the beginning of 2019, Kaylee proposed the idea of starting a book club [17] to her Twitter followers, and her fans were here for it. Now #BryantsBookClub is a thing, where she discusses a new book selection each month on Instagram Live.