COUNTRY OF BIRTH

United States

INDUSTRY

Entertaiment

TOP ACHIEVEMENTS

Jessica Alba is an American actress and entrepreneur, co-founder of The Honest Company, which produces safe, non-toxic products for baby care, health, and beauty.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Jessica Marie Alba was born in Pomona, California, on April 28, 1981. Her father is Mexican-American, and her mother has Danish, Welsh, German, English, and French ancestry. Alba’s childhood was marked by physical illness and isolation, due to her asthma and the multiple episodes of pneumonia from which she suffered every year. By the age of five, she knew she wanted to become an actress. At age 11, Alba entered an acting competition in Beverly Hills and won first prize. By the age of 12, she had an agent.

EARLY CAREER

Alba appeared on the big screen for the first time, at age 13, in the 1994 comedy Camp Nowhere. In the same year, she landed a recurring role in the Nickelodeon comedy series, The Secret World of Alex Mack. She then played Maya in the 1995 remake of the classic aquatic adventure series Flipper. In subsequent years, she appeared in Beverly Hills, 90210, and Love Boat: The Next Wave, amongst other TV roles. After Alba graduated from high school in 1997, she studied acting at the Atlantic Theater Company.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Alba’s big break came in 1999 when James Cameron chose her for the leading role in the science-fiction series Dark Angel. Alba played Max Guevera, a genetically-modified young woman who escapes from a genetics research project and evades all government attempts to recapture her. This role was considered a symbol of female empowerment. The series ran from 2000 to 2002. Alba soon appeared on the big screen in Honey (2003), playing a hip-hop dancer and choreographer. The film grossed US $62.2 million. Alba quickly established herself as a successful actress and starred in numerous box office hits throughout her career. She is a frequent collaborator with director Robert Rodriguez. In January 2012, Alba co-founded The Honest Company, a consumer goods enterprise that produces and sells chemical-free baby, personal, and household products. In 2021, the company was valued at US $1.4 billion. The Honest Company also sponsors research into the links between common household chemicals and autism.

RECOGNITION

The series Dark Angel earned Alba a Golden Globe nomination, the Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress, and Saturn Award for Best Actress. Magazines including Men's Health, Vanity Fair, and FHM have included her on their lists of the world's most beautiful women.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

• In May 2008, Alba married Cash Warren. They have two daughters and one son.
• In 2013, Alba released her book, The Honest Life, based on her experiences creating a natural, non-toxic life for her family. The book became a New York Times Best Seller.
• Alba's charity work has included participation with Clothes Off Our Back, Habitat for Humanity, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Project HOME, Revlon Run/Walk for Women and SOS Children's Villages.