Jessica Alba News

Aug. 12, 2005 - Jessica Alba is on a roll. She heated up screens this spring as the sultry heroine of “Sin City,” the Robert Rodriguez film based on Frank Miller's graphic novels. In this summer’s “Fantastic Four,” she certainly wasn’t invisible as the Invisible Girl. (Despite bad reviews, it has earned 5 million so far-and Alba has signed on for two more sequels.) Next up, she stars opposite Paul Walker in the action movie “Into the Blue.” With the “Sin City” DVD coming out this week, the 24-year-old actress spoke to NEWSWEEK’s Ramin Setoodeh.

NEWSWEEK: I hate to ask you this, but have you heard about all the rumors about you and Tom Cruise?

Jessica Alba: I heard it from journalists. I never actually heard it from anyone else.

Are they true? Did you meet Tom before he dated Katie Holmes?

I actually met everyone at his company for a movie called “The Eye.” It’s like a scary, cool thriller that I wanted to do. I met his entire production company, including him. They make really interesting movies.

Did anyone ever approach you about being his girlfriend?

No. That’s so weird. I don’t even understand how that would happen.

It’s a such a strange rumor, but for some reason it got out. I just wanted to give you a chance to clear it up.

I know. That’s silly.

So you never went out on a date with Tom Cruise?

[Laughs.] You’re still fishing. No. I have a boyfriend. Why would I go out on a date with another man? I’ve been in a relationship for a year.

Do you think you’ll get married?

Eventually, I’ll get married.

One of my co-workers wanted me to ask you out on a date for him.

You have to be really, really smart if you’re going to go on a date with me. That’s the only problem.

What does he need to know about you?

I’ve been all over the world. I’ve been working since I was 12. I’m not an idiot. I’m interested in all sorts of different things. I’m pretty educated on what’s going on in the rest of the world.

Are you political?

I definitely have my point of view.

What is that?

I can’t wait for Barack Obama to run for something. Cause I am voting.

Do you think he’ll be president in the future?

I sure hope so. I hope people are open-minded enough to have somebody like Barack.

What do you think of the war in Iraq?

You know, it’s really none of my business. I’m not fighting. I’m not in the Army. I’m not in any of the armed forces. I’m not Donald Rumsfeld. And I’m certainly not in Iraq—an Iraqi person who has to deal with all the bulls—t in my country. I’m not Afghani. I wouldn’t know what that reality is like, to sit in your home and to have soldiers raiding your house because they think your kid is a spy. And explosions happening at your kids’ schools. I don’t know if I could have a real educated opinion about it all. I just think it’s f—ked up, whatever’s happening over there.

I have to say. I used to be a big fan of “The Secret World of Alex Mack.”

Oh, you were. [Laughs.] That’s hilarious.

You were so mean on the show.

Well, it was a character. Come on.

Most people don’t realize you had such a long career on television. You were on “Beverly Hills 90210” as a teenager even though the other actors were much older.

It was weird. I actually stopped watching after the first season. And going on the show, they were all like grown-ups. They were not even high school or college. I was playing a girl who was giving up her baby or something.

More recently you were on “Entourage.”

I was the first guest star, I think.

How do you discover the character of Jessica Alba?

I don’t know. It’s funny when they write dialogue for you—'cause I’m like, "This is supposed to be me? That’s so weird." I changed it so it was dialogue I’d say myself. The house wasn’t mine.

Do you have any beach houses?

No, I don’t. I’m not that fly yet, but maybe one day.

Let’s talk about “Sin City.” I know you had to convince them to cast you for the role.

I got cast because I did a good job. I was the actress they wanted. They didn’t hire me cause they thought, "Oh, you’re hot." Or, "We think you’re going to be the next big this and that." They could give two s—ts who I was. Their movie was going to be successful whoever was in the role. So they cast the best actors.

So how did you convince them you’re the best?

I don’t know. I just read with a casting director.

Did you know you were going to be so talented in the art of lassoing?

I didn’t think I could lasso, actually. I hit myself in the face more than a few times with a lasso in my trying to do it right. So no, I thought I was terrible.

But it didn’t look that way on the screen.

That was after lots of hitting myself in the eye. There really isn’t a trick. You’ve just got to do it.

Did you practice on people?

Yes. Basically, on anybody who was walking by me on the set. I kind of was like, "Could you just stand still for a second?" And they were like, "Who are you?" And I’m like, "I’m in the movie, don’t worry." I’d just lasso people and trash cans. I think I did lasso Bruce Willis. And I lassoed all of his—he has like a trainer and an assistant—and I think I lassoed Frank and Robert, the make-up artist, girls.

Were you nervous at all about wearing so little?

Yeah. But I’m glad I wasn’t naked. Like, for the alternative, it was better wearing what I wore than not wearing anything at all. She’s drawn naked. For me, it wasn’t an option. It was an option for whoever was playing the character. They left it up to us, but I wasn’t comfortable with that.

You also aren’t wearing that much in your next movie, “Into the Blue”?

Well, I play a shark wrangler. She’s in the water a lot—in the Bahamas, and it’s hot. It wouldn’t be right if she’s wearing a full suit when it’s like 90 degrees.

I hear that your costar, Paul Walker, is a very disciplined actor.

He’s good.

I’m just joking, Jessica!

No. He did a good job. Out of the things I’ve seen him in, this is the most you get to see of Paul. He actually—I don’t know—gets to do more than just do one-liners and stuff. I was proud of him.

What do you think is the hardest part of being a young actress?

I don’t think it’s that hard. I think life is really f—king good, being an actor. We get to do what we want to do for a living. So you have paparazzi following you around. If it truly bothered me to my core I’d f—king live in another country or I’d live in another state even. There’s no paparazzi in Michigan.

But wouldn’t there be paparazzi if you lived there?

No, there wouldn’t. People live all over in different states and they don’t they get bothered. I live in LA, so of course. You live in New York, fine. Miami, maybe. It’s not a big deal at all.