About
Kelly Anne Rohrbach, born January 21, 1990, in New York City and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, is an American model-turned-actress who broke out in the 2015 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue as Rookie of the Year before stepping into the iconic red swimsuit of C. J. Parker in the 2017 comedy-action film Baywatch. Her easygoing charm, athletic roots, and sense of humor quickly set her apart in both modeling and Hollywood. Beyond the camera, Rohrbach is known for her passion for golf, a sport that earned her a Division I scholarship, and for her low-key yet philanthropic lifestyle with husband Steuart Walton—heir to the Walmart fortune—and their young son, Lawrence.
Before Fame
Rohrbach’s childhood revolved around family, sports, and the outdoors. Her parents—financier Clay Rohrbach and former college golfer Anne Wholly—encouraged their daughter’s love of athletics, and by her teens she was a standout on Greenwich Academy’s golf team. An athletic scholarship carried her to Georgetown University, where she teed off for the Hoyas while earning a degree in American Studies in 2012. Yet stage lights called as loudly as fairways: after graduation she headed to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, sharpening her craft before landing small TV parts in Two and a Half Men, Rizzoli & Isles, and Broad City. Those auditions doubled as informal modeling castings, leading to campaigns for Gap’s 2014 holiday line and Old Navy denim in 2015.
Trivia
- Swimsuit splash: Her first Sports Illustrated shoot was on the island of Malta, and the images helped her win “Rookie of the Year,” an honor previously claimed by superstars like Chrissy Teigen.
- Golfer at heart: Rohrbach still carries a single-digit handicap and occasionally plays charity rounds in Arkansas—home base for the Walton family foundation.
- Quick study: To portray lifeguard C. J. Parker, she logged dawn-to-dusk swim workouts until she could sprint down the sand without looking out of breath.
- Screen cameos: Before Baywatch, she popped up in Woody Allen’s Café Society (2016) and, later, as a perky meteorologist in his 2019 film A Rainy Day in New York.
- Style stamp: Despite access to couture, she often champions sustainable fashion labels, citing a desire to “wear things that are kind to the planet.”
Family Life
Privacy matters to Rohrbach, so glimpses of home are rare, but a few details shine through. In June 2019 she wed Steuart Walton during an intimate ceremony reportedly held in Wyoming. The couple split their time among Los Angeles, Bentonville, and the wide-open spaces around the Grand Tetons, favoring hiking boots over red carpets whenever possible. December 2021 brought their son, Lawrence, adding a new chapter to both the Rohrbach and Walton clans. Parenthood, she says, has “slowed my pace and widened my view,” nudging her to choose projects more thoughtfully and expand her charitable work in children’s arts education.
Associated With
Rohrbach shared sun-drenched scenes in Baywatch alongside Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, and Alexandra Daddario, drawing playful comparisons to Pamela Anderson, who originated C. J. Parker on television. In the fashion world she has posed beside fellow SI alumna Hannah Ferguson and fronted campaigns shot by legendary photographer Mario Testino. Her past relationships also sparked headlines—especially her 2015 romance with Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio—but the spotlight today centers on her creative collaborations and philanthropy with the Walton family foundation. Whether working a beach set, a photo studio, or a charity boardroom, Kelly Rohrbach continues to blend athletic grit, comedic timing, and a grounded outlook that keeps fans—and future directors—watching closely.
