Lydia Hearst shows off toned bod in MAXIM!

When Lydia began modeling, she was mentored by Carol Alt. So when it was her turn to mentor, she made sure to look for girls with 'more unique characteristics and qualities.'

'I wanted to see in a sense a little bit of myself and that inner light and excitement and determination,' the Gossip Girl actress told Metro.

Lydia, who is dating former Entourage star Kevin Connolly, will next appear in Tara Subkoff's thriller #Horror - due out next year - with Chloe Sevigny, Natasha Lyonne and Timothy Hutton.