An aspiring actress from the age of five years old, Jessica Alba has always been someone who knew what she wanted to do. Highly motivated and remarkably resilient, she has overcome great personal obstacles on the way to becoming an A-list Hollywood actress. Her journey has been one to remember, as the quiet girl from Pomona went on to steal the hearts of fans all across the country.
The first of Catherine and Mark Alba’s two children, Jessica Marie Alba was born on April 28, 1981 in Pomona, California. While she is often regarded as a Latina actress, only her father is of Latin descent. As an active member in the US Air Force, Mark and his family were frequently forced to relocate to various parts of the country before finally settling in Claremont, California. Alba’s childhood was often extremely trying, as it was riddled with physical ailments and the onerous demand of readjusting to each new location.
However, her luck began to change around the age of 12 when she was awarded free acting lessons for her performance in an acting competition held in Beverly Hills. Nine months later she was signed by a local talent agent who landed Alba the role of Gail in the 1994 movie “Camp Nowhere.” Although her role as Gail was not enough to lift her career off the ground, she was not waiting around for anyone, and did not hesitate to take as many new roles as possible. After appearing in a multitude of independent films and television shows, Alba beat out 1,200 other hopeful candidates for the chance to play Max Guevara, a genetically engineered super soldier, in the sci-fi series “Dark Angel.”
“Dark Angel” proved to be Alba’s big break as her performance garnered both critical recognition and her first Golden Globe nomination. Considered to be an up and coming star, she soon landed a role as Honey Daniels in the well-received teen movie “Honey” and later as Nancy Callahan in “Sin City.” Alba would go on to star in popular titles such as “Into the Blue,” “Good Luck Chuck,” and “Valentine’s Day.” She also brought Marvel character Sue Storm to life in both of the “Fantastic Four” films. Now 31, Alba is married to movie producer Cash Warren and has her hands full with two young daughters, Honor and Haven.
Joshua Shapiro is a second-year student majoring in English and education. He can be reached at JS762110@wcupa.edu.