People: She was ready to laugh it up in ‘Chuck’
In her new film, Jessica Alba falls into a penguin pond, stabs Dane Cook with a dental tool and tears off her skirt by closing it in a car door.
The role of Cam, a clumsy penguin-keeper who captures Cook’s heart in “Good Luck Chuck,” is a departure for Alba, who gained fame as an action star – first on TV’s “Dark Angel,” then in films such as “Fantastic Four” and “Sin City.”
The 26-year-old actress’ current crop of projects includes a horror film and “The Love Guru,” a romantic comedy with Mike Myers.
Q: What drew you to the role in “Good Luck Chuck”?
A: I loved that the girl in this film, more than any other film than I had read, certainly in this genre, was doing all the physical comedy. Usually the girl does one trip here or there, right when it’s cute, but for the most part it’s usually the guy that gets to do all the fun stuff.
Q: Do you have any career role models?
A: Definitely Drew (Barrymore). Definitely. Working with her (on “Never Been Kissed”) when I was 16 and seeing how she absolutely loves what she does and is still totally inspired and is opening doors for so many women, yeah, she definitely has been a role model. And so young. She’s really terrific.
Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t an actor?
A: I don’t know. I really don’t. I love science. I’ve always loved biology, like I’m almost a little obsessed with it. It’s kind of unhealthy. Science Daily is one of my bookmarks. I’m super dorky. … But knowing what I know now and going through what I’ve experienced, I would probably want to maybe be a documentary filmmaker, and be able to use documentaries and in an entertaining way (make) thought-provoking commentaries on social issues that are going on in the world.
Q: What are the pros and cons, personally and professionally, of being considered one of the world’s sexiest women?
A: I don’t really think about it too much. I’m like everybody else. I get insecure about things just like everybody else. I wake up in the morning and think, “What the hell am I going to do with my face today or my hair? What am I going to wear?”
People make me feel like … I’m not a person or superhuman or something because you’re on a list that’s being put together. But I understand that those magazines and those lists only exist just to give publicity for the magazine and publicity for the project that I’m in, and it’s not necessarily completely and totally true.
The birthday bunch
Actor Mickey Rooney is 87. Singer Julio Iglesias is 64. Singer Bruce Springsteen is 58. Actor Jason Alexander is 48. Singer Ani DiFranco is 37. Rapper-producer Jermaine Dupri is 35.