2005 is her year

Two thousand five is shaping up to be Jessica Alba’s year. She is unbelievably gorgeous, totally in love, and has movies coming out this year. Everything about the 23-year-old Jessica – from her megawatt smile down to her hip wardrobe – just screams "actress on the rise."

Of Mexican, Danish and French descent, the Southern California native made her film debut at 13 in Camp Nowhere. Then came a Nickelodeon series called The Secret World of Alex Mack and the TV show Flipper, for which she moved to Australia to film at 14. The brainy babe took advanced-placement courses with a tutor during her two years on Flipper and earned her high school diploma at 16. She allotted herself two years to make it big in Hollywood… or else go off to college like everyone else she knew.

Being cast in 1999’s Never Been Kissed gave her the confidence she needed to continue to pursue her acting dreams. Later came her starring role in the popular Fox series Dark Angel and 2003’s sexy dance flick Honey.

And now her hard work and patience are really paying off. This year she stars in Into the Blue and Fantastic Four.

Below, she talks about her life and career.

Your body is featured prominently in your movies — you were a dancer in Honey, and now you’re in a bathing suit for almost every scene of Into the Blue. Do you ever have body anxiety?

Jessica Alba: I get self-conscious, but you just have to embrace it and go with it. I remember being in my underwear in my hotel room, trying to get comfortable.

Have you always had a curvaceous figure?

When I went from girl body to woman body and all of a sudden I had tits and hips and a little tummy and natural fat in places, I freaked out. I went through puberty really early, when I was 11. It makes you feel weird – you know, like your uncle is hugging you a little bit longer than he used to. I used to be about 20 pounds lighter. Sometimes I don’t like my thighs or stomach, but whenever I get caught up in that, I always focus on the fact that I’m healthy now.

What were you like growing up?

I never fit in with my peer group, I never hung out with kids my age – I always wanted to hang out with my mom and her girlfriends. I was on a TV show when I was 13, and I had a tutor for high school, everyone was like, "Oh, you’re missing out on the high school experience," so I’d go with my cousins to parties where I would be a keg and people doing body shots and playing quarter. I was like, ‘What a waste of time.’ I didn’t like doing E (ecstasy) and making out with a guy three years older than me who’s a loser.

Do you think it’s important for girls to play the field a bit before settling down?

I just wanted to see what it was like to be with different people. I don’t think a girl’s a slut if she enjoys sex. I could have a one-night stand, and I’m the kind of girl who looks over in the morning and is like, Do you really have to be here? I don’t really have a problem with just wanting sex. Never have. But now I’m done with dating around.

So, you’re dating someone seriously now?

Yes, his name is Cash. He’s not famous. He might be The One. It was kind of love-at-first-sight thing. But I met him when I was dating someone else, so it started off as a friendship. I was actually attracted to his spirit and mind before it went to a physical place. We’re both old people in young people’s bodies. The first week that we kind of got together, he gave me a note and signed it with a dollar sign, because his name is Cash. It just said "I really, really like you." And that was exactly how I fell at that time. Really, really liking him too much…I was already in love with him.

You seem pretty comfortable with who you are, but is there a quality about yourself you really wish you could change?

I think my temper.

Fantastic Four is now showing nationwide while Into the Blue will open later this year.