You know Jessica Alba as a hot actress. A sex symbol. The jewel of any “Top ___” hotlist. This might change. No, she’ll still keep her looks. But as she tells Clubplanet, now that she’s pregnant, we’ll soon see her in more character-driven roles, more indies, more projects that showcase her acting. First, though, is another popcorn-esque role—she stars in the horror The Eye, playing a blind woman who regains her sight, only to see ghastly images scarier than a Mike Huckabee speech. Clubplanet caught up with the soon-to-be MILF to chat about The Eye, her career, and whether she feels objectified. The Jessica Alba interview:
Clubplanet: When you look at projects, are you worried that some roles are based on your looks?
Jessica Alba: I never base anything on my appearance to be honest with you. I don’t think that people would hire me just because of that. There’s so many much, much cuter girls in LA that would do just about anything to get roles. And if it was just about looks…they would be getting them. So I have to believe that I bring more to the table than that.
Have you ever felt objectified?
Jessica Alba: Into the Blue. Only because I didn’t know we were going to be in bathing suits. That was never the plan. They shot all the bathing suits scenes with the doubles before I even [started]. In the script, we were scuba diving in wet suits. So that was one movie where I felt tricked.
What should we expect from you in The Eye?
Jessica Alba: A lot of people have seen me primarily in popcorn movies. And mind you, this one is as well, but this one is a more complex character. It’s not as one-dimensional. She’s definitely grounded and feels…not as glamorous, I guess.
Do you see your career headed more in that direction?
Jessica Alba: Initially I’m going to probably do maybe a little bit more character-driven roles, kind of more indies, ensemble casts, smaller budget. Not necessarily the big, box office, tentpole movies.
I want to go in a more indie route for a little while. And have a bit more of a balance between the commercial movies and the indie movies that don’t necessarily do as well. And I think it’ll be fun to take more risks and more challenging roles.
What’s next for you, specifically?
Jessica Alba: A comedy. A very broad tentpole comedy with Mike Myers, which was like a dream come true. Because he is the Peter Sellers of our generation. He's a genius. He's primed in every phrase in pop culture. And so that was huge, because I love comedy and if you’re going to work with anybody in comedy, Mike is definitely someone to learn from.
Congrats again on the baby.
Thank you.
How do you think it will affect your career?
Jessica Alba: I have to believe that when you have a child and you have someone that, you know, needs you and needs your time, you kind of can’t be self-interested anymore. You have to consider that any time you spend away from your child is invaluable. And so I think I’ll just probably be a bit more choosy and not work for two years straight like I just did.
So given your role in The Eye…to quote Scream, what's your favorite scary movie?
Jessica Alba: I love horror movies in general. Psycho, Poltergeist, IT, The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street--the first one.
How much research did you do to play a blind person?
Jessica Alba: I went to a blind orientation center in LA and one in New Mexico. And I lived among people who were learning to deal with blindness, particularly in New Mexico. I learned how to read brail, walk with my cane, label everything in the house. Just sort of learn how to exist as someone who has blindness.
Did you take it home with you?
Jessica Alba: I applied all of those things to my home so that I could just practice at home with the sleep-shades on. I also spent time with a girl who’s been blind since she was two, and she’s a vocalist. She’s in her late twenties, speaks three different languages, travels around Europe by herself, travels around the States by herself, lives by herself, goes to Boston University, converts all of her textbooks to brail.
So she’s really my inspiration because she was so self-efficient and so independent. I never knew anyone who was blind. And certainly any connotations I had with people who are blind in that they can’t be self-efficient or live like anybody else was just thrown out the window because she was quite extraordinary.
So what’s more difficult? Playing a blind person or playing the violin?
Jessica Alba: Violin was definitely more difficult. You know, I played a soloist but you have to be kind of the best of the best. And people who’ve been playing that instrument since they were three years old—they still don’t become soloists. They’re just in the orchestra. So that was tough for me because I wanted to come off as realistic and believable as possible in order for the audience to really take the journey with me in this movie.
It’s been almost two weeks now since the tragic death of Heath Ledger. Considering he’s part of your generation of actors and actresses, what are your thoughts on how the media has been treating things?
Jessica Alba: Oh my God, it was - it’s such a huge loss. And the most tragic, saddest thing ever. I mean, I can’t imagine a more--it was just horrible. And I just feel for his family and his friends and everyone that’s close to him. And I--I don’t know--I guess I’m just sensitive to the fact that he’s in the public eye and the fact that people can all have an opinion on him when I feel like he should just rest in peace and people should grieve without having this extra attention on how his passing was. A huge loss for the acting community and really so, so shocking and so, so sad.
Okay, we can’t leave on that note. Any word on Sin City 2?
Jessica Alba: You know, it’s kind of been on hold since we finished Sin City 1. I mean, it’s been a few years. So I don’t know what the hold-up is. But I know Frank (Miller), you know, has done another movie and I know Robert Rodriguez has obviously done other movies. So, yeah, I’m not really sure.
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The Eye is curently in theaters.
Photo credit: Kristin Callahan – Ace Pictures
