Early in her career, Alexis Knapp was less famous for her sexy roles in film and TV than for her brief but high-profile relationship with actor Ryan Phillippe, but her comedic talents soon got her noticed on her own merits. Knapp's gorgeous features allowed her to begin a career in modeling, but she also harbored a love for geek culture, as an avid viewer of science fiction shows and player of the fantasy video game World of Warcraft. Knapp was born on July 31, 1989 in Avonmore, PA.
In her late teens, she moved to Los Angeles, where her first gig was hosting "Project Lore," a web series about World of Warcraft. Knapp then appeared in small roles in the romantic comedy "Couples Retreat" (2009) and the young adult fantasy "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" (2010). In 2010, she began a relationship with actor and director Ryan Phillippe, the former husband of Reese Witherspoon. The relationship ended in the fall of that year, but Knapp gave birth to Phillippe's daughter, Kailani Merizalde Phillippe Knapp, on July 1, 2011. Knapp's profile was raised considerably by her breakthrough role as a highly sexualized a cappella singer in the smash film "Pitch Perfect" (2011); a nude scene in the found-footage comedy "Project X" (2012) brought her a rather different fan base. After appearing on her "Pitch Perfect" castmate Rebel Wilson's sitcom vehicle "Super Fun Night" (ABC 2013-14), Knapp joined the cast of the workplace-based romantic comedy "Ground Floor" (TBS 2013-15). Her party girl character Tori is a friend and office mate of lead character Jenny (Briga Heelan), a blue-collar service employee who's in a new relationship with a rising young middle manager (Skylar Astin, another "Pitch Perfect" alum).