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Jessica Marie Alba (born April 28, 1981) is an American actress whose TV and film credits include Dark Angel, Honey, Sin City, Fantastic Four, Into the Blue, Idle Hands and 2007's Good Luck Chuck. Alba rose to prominence with the television series Dark Angel, then expanding her résumé to film, predominantly within the confines of action and comedy. Alba appears frequently on the "Hot 100" section of Maxim and was voted number one on their list of "99 Most Desirable Women" in 2006, as well as "Sexiest Woman in the World" by FHM in 2007. A longtime favorite of frat boys and fan-boys alike, actress Jessica Alba started out in commercials before graduating to the small screen. Her turn as a pre-adolescent mean queen during the 1994-95 season of the children’s comedy series, “The Secret World of Alex Mack” (Nickelodeon, 1994-98), helped her land the role of Maya Graham for the first two seasons of “The New Adventures of Flipper” (Synd., 1994-2000). The young star’s big break came, however, in 2000 when writer-director James Cameron picked Alba from a pool of over 1,200 candidates for the lead role in his futuristic sci-fi neo-drama, “Dark Angel” (Fox, 2000-02). An eye-pleasing presence on the silver screen since the mid-millennium, Alba picked up a few dubious credits early on in her career – most notably, the bittersweet urban music flop, “Honey” (2003). Alba luckily made a wiser choice, however, when she signed on to play Sue Storm – a.k.a. “The Invisible Girl” – in “Fantastic Four” (2005) – a role she subsequently reprised in 2007’s sequel “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Alba was born in Pomona, California to Catherine (née Jensen) and Mark Alba. Jessica Marie Alba was the daughter of a Mexican-American father and a French-Danish mother. Alba's early life was marked by a series of unfortunate physical maladies. In addition to asthma, Alba twice suffered from collapsed lungs, a burst appendix and had to endure pneumonia several times a year. This, on top of her obsessive-compulsive disorder, helped serve to isolate her from other schoolchildren. Luckily, her health eventually took a dramatically positive turn a few years later; an improvement Alba credited to her growing interest in acting. Signed by an agent by the age of 12, Alba made her screen debut with “Camp Nowhere.” Her mother is of Danish descent, and her father is Mexican American (though both of his parents were born in California). Alba's parents married in their teenage years. Her maternal grandfather was a Marine NCO for 30 years, serving in the Pacific during World War II, and later as Assistant Drum Major for the United States Marine Band. Alba was raised in an Air Force family her brother, Joshua and her grandparents until she was seventeen years old. Her father's air force career took the family to Biloxi, Mississippi, and Del Rio, Texas before settling back in California. Alba's early life was marked by a multitude of physical maladies; she suffered collapsed lungs twice, had pneumonia 4-5 times a year, a ruptured appendix, and a cyst on her tonsils. This isolated her from other children at school because, as she claims, she was in the hospital so often that no one knew her well enough to befriend her. She has also acknowledged suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder during childhood. Her health improved, however, when her family moved to California. She graduated from high school at age 16, and subsequently attended the Atlantic Theater Company. Alba had expressed interest in acting since the age of five. She took her first acting class at age twelve, and an acting agent signed her nine months later. Her first appearance on film was a small role in the 1994 feature Camp Nowhere as Gail. She was originally hired for two weeks but her role turned into a two-month job when the actress in one of the prominent roles dropped out. Alba appeared in two national television commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney as a child. She was later featured in several independent films. She branched out into television in 1994 with a recurring role as the vain Jessica in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy series The Secret World of Alex Mack. She then performed the role of Maya in the first two seasons of the television series Flipper. Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk, and she was a PADI-certified scuba diver, skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia. Alba went on to appear in two national TV commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney, which led to her landing a recurring role as the young snob, Jessica, in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy series, "The Secret World of Alex Mack.” She then performed the role of Maya Graham in the first two seasons of the TV series, "Flipper” (also known as “The New Adventures of Flipper”). Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk and was a PADI-certified scuba diver – skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia. As the fresh-faced, enthusiastic and sweet Maya, the part would provide Alba a nice departure from her previous “mean girl” TV efforts. In 1998, she appeared as Melissa Hauer in a first-season episode of the Steven Bochco crime-drama Brooklyn South, as Leanne in two episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 and as Layla in an episode of The Love Boat: The Next Wave. In 1999, she appeared in the Randy Quaid comedy feature P.U.N.K.S.. After graduating from high school, Alba studied acting with William H. Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, at the Atlantic Theater Company, which was developed by Macy and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and film director, David Mamet. An ABC After-School Special entitled "Too Soon for Jeff" aired in 1996, starring Alba as a pregnant teenager and Freddie Prinze, Jr. as her overwhelmed boyfriend. Next, the actress could be seen in some memorable guest performances on television series, including playing a girl smitten with the captain's young son on "Love Boat: The Next Wave" (UPN, 1998-99), a confused teen mother on a two-part episode of "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox, 1990-2000), and the daughter of a police officer who identifies another officer as having indecently exposed himself to her in the CBS police drama "Brooklyn South" (CBS, 1998-99). Alba also starred in the little seen children's comedy feature "P.U.N.K.S" (1998). The following year she was featured in two higher profile films – first playing a clique leader in "Never Been Kissed,” starring Drew Barrymore as a twenty-something reporter returning to high school for an undercover story; followed by "Idle Hands" (1999), a supernatural thriller starring Devon Sawa and Seth Green. In it, Alba was featured as Sawa's love interest. Alba rose to greater prominence in Hollywood in 1999 after appearing as a member of a snobby high school clique in the Drew Barrymore romantic comedy Never Been Kissed, and as the female lead in the 1999 comedy-horror film Idle Hands, opposite Devon Sawa. Her big break came when writer/director James Cameron picked Alba from a pool of 1,200 candidates for the role of the genetically-engineered super-soldier, Max Guevara, on the FOX sci-fi television series Dark Angel. Co-created by Cameron, the series starred Alba, and ran for two seasons until 2002, earning her critical acclaim as well as a Golden-Globe nomination. Alba's career kicked into high gear in 2000 when she was cast as the genetically perfect Max on James Cameron's post-“Titanic” (1998) TV series, "Dark Angel.” Her popularity skyrocketed along with the show's success. In the first season, she was nominated for a Golden Globe and she won the TV Guide Award as Breakout Star of the Year – nevertheless, the very expensive series folded in 2002 despite its devoted core following. It would not be for naught, however. Following the conclusion of “Dark Angel,” Alba went public with her engagement to her co-star, Michael Weatherly – who played Logan Cale on the show – but, the celebrated twosome would subsequently break up in 2003. Alba's opportunities expanded along with her success, following the cancellation of “Dark Angel” – much of it to do with her smoldering Latina looks and toned body. In 2001, she became a spokeswoman for L'Oreal hair products – the Feria line of coloring –and in 2002, she starred in the low-profile film "The Sleeping Dictionary" as a South American woman who falls in love with a British colonialist who visits her village. Her first major bid toward big screen stardom came in the form of "Honey" (2003), a feast of Alba-fueled eye candy but otherwise undistinguished effort aimed at the MTV demographic. In the urban music-fueled film, she played a tough, sexy music video choreographer. It was her next project that put her on the fan-boy map. In the visually arresting "Sin City" (2005) – directed by Robert Rodriguez and comic book creator Frank Miller – Alba played Nancy Callahan, a sultry, lasso-spinning pole dancer with an unexpected past in the segment, "That Yellow Bastard." Following that sexy foray, it was announced that she was cast as Sue Storm – better known as the Invisible Girl – in the big-screen, big-budget adaptation of the classic Stan Lee-Jack Kirby Marvel Comic, "The Fantastic Four" (2005). Although Alba gamely tackled the role, her efforts were largely undermined by a lack of chemistry with co-star/love interest Ioan Gruffudd and the film's wildly uneven quality. Alba's third film of 2005, the underwater diving drama "Into the Blue" (2005) opposite Paul Walker, was distinguished primarily by its stunning scenery – primarily the gorgeous backdrop of the Bahamas – and Alba's frequently bikini-clad body, which made her status as Hollywood's breakout sex symbol of 2005 complete. During preparation for Dark Angel, in which Alba trained for three hours every day, the actress began to starve herself and became obsessed with exercise, going on to say, "A lot of girls have eating disorders and I did too. I got obsessed with it." Alba recalls coming to a realization that she had a problem when she dropped to just 100 lbs and cites her natural introduction to puberty and her development of womanly curves as two things that caused her "concern" regarding her aesthetics. Alba, who also suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder and panic attacks, says she has been cooking for herself since the age of twelve, in fear she will end up as fat as her family members. Alba's most notable film roles have included an aspiring dancer-choreographer in Honey, exotic dancer Nancy Callahan in Sin City and as the classic Marvel Comics character Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman in the Fantastic Four. Alba went on to host the 2006 MTV Movie Awards and performed sketches spoofing the movies King Kong, Mission Impossible 3, and The Da Vinci Code. In 2008, Alba appeared in her first horror-film role in The Eye (a remake of the Hong Kong original), and will star in Sisters, alongside Eliska Amor and Paz Vega. On February 9, 2008, Alba hosted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences's Science and Technical Awards. In 2006, readers voted Alba No. 1 on 99 Most Desirable Women, while in 2007, Maxim Magazine placed Alba on the number 2 spot of their "Top 100", after Lindsay Lohan. Both GQ and In Style had Alba on their June covers, and in May, after eight million votes, FHM (UK and USA editions) named Alba the winner as "2007’s Sexiest Woman in the World". Alba has received successful public reception in popular culture. In 2001 Alba received a Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress for her role in Dark Angel. In 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, Alba appeared on Maxim's Hot 100 list. In 2006, Alba received an MTV Movie Award for "Sexiest Performance" for Sin City. In 2007, Alba received the Spike TV Guys' Choice Award for "Hottest Jessica". On the cover of the March 2006 issue, Playboy magazine named Alba among its 25 Sexiest Celebrities, and the Sex Star of the Year. Alba was involved in litigation against Playboy for its use of her image (from a promotional shot for Into the Blue) without her consent, which she contends gave the appearance that she was featured in the issue in a "nude pictorial". However, she later dropped the lawsuit after receiving a personal apology from Playboy owner Hugh Hefner, who agreed to make donations to two charities that Alba has supported. Alba fears being typecast as a sex kitten based on the bulk of parts offered to her. "Somehow, I don't think this is happening to Natalie Portman," laments Alba. In the interview, Alba says she wants to be taken seriously as an actress but believes she needs to do movies that she would otherwise not be interested in to build her career, stating that eventually she hopes to be more selective in her film projects. While filming Dark Angel, Alba began a four year romance with fellow castmate Michael Weatherly, which caused controversy due to their 12 year age gap. He proposed to her on her 20th birthday. They eventually broke up after a four-year relationship. In July 2007, Jessica spoke out about the break up. "I don't know why I got engaged. I was a virgin. He was 12 years older than me. I thought he knew better. My parents weren't happy. They're really religious. They believe God wouldn't allow The Bible to be written if it wasn't what they are supposed to be believe. I'm completely different." Alba had at one time said she envisioned a much older man as her ideal partner, making references to Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, Robert Redford, and Michael Caine. "I have this thing for older men. They've been around and know so much." Regarding children, Alba said, "I'm really girly when it comes to kids. I've been surrounded by kids my whole life because I'm the oldest of 15 cousins I've been changing diapers since I was six. I want to have a couple, for sure". Alba is engaged to Cash Warren (son of actor Michael Warren), whom she met while making Fantastic Four in 2004. They are expecting their first child in early spring or summer of 2008. Alba, who never learned Spanish as a child, reportedly began mastering the language during her pregnancy, with the intention of speaking only Spanish to her child once he or she is born. Alba's charity work includes participation with Clothes Off Our Back, Habitat for Humanity, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Project HOME, RADD, Revlon Run/Walk for Women, SOS Children Villages, Soles4Souls, and Step up. |
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