Alba spirited in 'Honey' (NY Daily News)

Alba spirited in 'Honey'

By DREW MACKENZIE
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

Let's Dance: Jessica Alba picks up career after 'Dark Angel'

Closeup: Alba, with Mekhi Phifer

Jessica Alba kicked serious butt as sexy futuristic superhuman Max in the cult sci-fi TV series "Dark Angel."
But when it came time to film a steamy dance scene in her new flick, "Honey" — while clad in a skin-baring getup — she turned into a sweaty bundle of nerves.

So how did she finally relax and let loose?

In a word: ****tails.

"I knew the scene was coming, and I was really nervous about it," the 22-year-old beauty tells the Daily News.

"I was wearing fishnet tights and little booty shorts and a tiny top. And all of a sudden there were like 50 more crew members.

"I don't like having a lot of attention like that, and I don't want to be a sexual object," adds Alba, who plays inner-city hip-hop dance queen Honey Daniels in the movie that took in $14 million at the box office last weekend. "But I was on stage and dancing around this guy, and it was embarrassing. It was so overt for me.

"The director was like, 'You gotta loosen up, you gotta do this.' I said, 'I can't do this, I can't get out of the trailer.'

"He says, 'Maybe you need a drink to loosen up.' And I said, 'That's so unprofessional. I'd never do that.'

"But I was getting major stage fright. He made a drink for the both of us and it really helped. It was called an Incredible Hulk. It's Courvoisier and something hypnotic. It gave me some courage to do my thing."

While other actresses her age were kicking up their heels at wild Hollywood parties, Alba — who describes herself as "kind of conservative" — got engaged to "Dark Angel" co-star Michael Weatherly.

When they fell in love, she was 19 and Weatherly — who had been hot and heavy with Rachel Hunter after her split from Rod Stewart — was 32.

They called off their romance three months ago, before ever making it up the aisle.

Surprisingly, Alba says her wholesome habits — she used to go to church three times a week and still attends when she can — were sparked by her desire to break away from her laid-back mother and father.

"My parents have always been liberal about partying and having a good time," she explains. "Ironically, it was my little rebellion to go the other way." Since breaking up with Weatherly, Alba has been linked with Spanish golf pro Sergio Garcia and "The Fast and the Furious" hunk Paul Walker, her co-star in the upcoming flick "Into the Blue."

She throws cold water on reports she's dating "That '70s Show" star Wilmer Valderrama, insisting the rumors are "not true."

"I'm not dating anyone right now," she says. "And if I were, I wouldn't talk about it anyway."

So what kind of guy is she looking for?

"I don't look for guys; it just happens, and it's something you can't really control," Alba says. "I think when the right guy comes along, you just have that feeling."

In "Honey," Alba plays a tough but sexy dancer whose dreams of music-video stardom are threatened by her boss' sexual demands.

According to Alba, the plot mirrors life in Hollywood, where the casting-couch mentality still rules.

"Yes, sure," she says when asked whether directors and producers have urged her to have sex with them for film roles.

But Alba, who has been acting for a decade, just laughs off the unwanted advances.

"I have integrity," she says indignantly.

"The point with 'Honey' is that girls have to stick up for themselves, and they should not have to compromise or do anything like that to get ahead."

Before production began, Alba trained for three months, six hours a day, learning jazz, ballet and hip-hop dance moves. And she's proud that all the moves were her own, with the exception of a triple pirouette, which required a dance double.

"I really wanted to make sure the audience feels it's authentic," Alba says. "One of my favorite movies of all time is 'Flashdance.' But I recently found out that Jennifer Beals didn't do a lot of her own dancing, and I was so bummed out. "Now I watch it, and I can see the cutaways."

Originally published on December 9, 2003

[rh71]

nice article...

didn't know about the Rachel Hunter thing nor expected the ""Yes, sure," she says when asked whether directors and producers have urged her to have sex with them for film roles."

Anyway, I don't know why people make a big deal out of her having to drink up before that scene... it only lasted like half a minute altogether and it's not like it was close to an actual lapdance.

[ December 09, 2003, 05:29 PM: Message edited by: rh71 ]

And sure the outfit she wore was tight and short but it wasn't all that skimpy looking..Some of the dancers I've seen in other movies wear some stuff next to nothing up top and just a thong. Plus like you said it didn't last long either...no big deal :rolleyes:

[ December 09, 2003, 02:19 PM: Message edited by: Flyin11 ]

I don't know about the rest of you Jessica Alba fans but I am getting tired of interviewers asking her about that short scene. If you saw the movie you realize what Jessica brought to the character. The caring and sweetnes that was portrayed in the character Honey, was what Jessica Alba is like in real life. Her recent interviews have shown her to be a beautiful lady with a lot of grace and class. She is not like alot of actresses that are stuck on their looks. I hope she remains true to herself and follows her dreams and does not worry about other peoples perceptions.

I hate interviews. Too many words.