<p id=”par-1_54″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/actors/”>Actor</a> Jessica Alba’s film career could’ve ended <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jessica-alba-considered-leaving-acting-success-business.html/”>long before it started</a>. Her mother couldn’t believe the subtle changes Alba already began making to her body at a young age. So much so that Alba’s mom threatened to pull her out of the film industry for good if the<em> Fantastic Four</em> star made anymore adjustments.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-why-jessica-alba-s-mom-almost-stopped-her-from-acting-at-a-young-age”>Why Jessica Alba’s mom almost stopped her from acting at a young age</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Acting-Jessica-Alba.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Jessica Alba posing in a black and white suit.” class=”wp-image-3736275″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Jessica Alba | Jason Mendez/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_74″>Alba has always credited her parents for their invaluable support as she navigated the film industry. From the beginning, Alba’s parents equipped her with the instincts she felt she needed to succeed. She didn’t grow up with the same glamorous lifestyle she enjoys today. In an interview with <a href=”https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/jessica-alba-interview-2022″>Glamour</a>, she confided that her childhood seemed to have everything except financial stability. But her early upbringing gave her even stronger motivation to accomplish her goals.</p>
<p id=”par-3_57″>“I grew up in survival mode,” she said. “It was almost sort of what I was born into. My parents didn’t have a safety net, they were living paycheck to paycheck. And so the mentality of ‘tomorrow’s not guaranteed’… For me, I was like, ‘I got to do everything I can to keep my head above water.’”</p>
<p id=”par-4_18″>However, the benefit of that was people often tempered their expectations when it came to Alba’s career ambitions.</p>
<p id=”par-5_57″>“I grew up in survival mode,” she added. “It was almost sort of what I was born into. My parents didn’t have a safety net, they were living paycheck to paycheck. And so the mentality of ‘tomorrow’s not guaranteed’… For me, I was like, ‘I got to do everything I can to keep my head above water.’”</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio” id=”emb-2″><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”>
<iframe title=”I SURPRISED MY PARENTS! | JESSICA ALBA” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ca8t1s4WurU?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p id=”par-6_32″>Alba’s parents continued supporting their daughter during <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-old-was-jessica-alba-when-she-dated-michael-weatherly.html/”>her younger years</a>. Her mom even helped prevent the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/bruce-willis-tried-avoid-kissing-jessica-alba-sin-city.html/”><em>Sin City </em>star</a> from becoming a cautionary tale like other younger stars back in the day.</p>
<p id=”par-7_72″>“I could have been a potential target for a predator, but luckily, I wasn’t. There were a few times when things felt uncomfortable, but they never escalated too much, thankfully. I’m truly grateful to God for this because many others haven’t been as fortunate, especially starting out young as I did,” she said in a 2024 interview with <a href=”https://elle.in/elle-digital-cover-star-jessica-alba-on-coming-full-circle/”>Elle India</a>. “Having my mom with me all the time really made a difference.”</p>
<p id=”par-8_41″>Around that time, however, Alba’s mom could also be a little strict when it came to her daughter’s image. In the 90s, Alba started experimenting with her style much to her mother’s discontentment. Eventually, Alba’s mom gave her daughter an ultimatum.</p>
<p id=”par-9_42″>”I got my bellybutton pierced the second I could,” Alba once told <a href=”https://www.allure.com/story/jessica-alba-beauty-advice”>Allure</a>. “I wanted to shave my head and pierce my nose, and my mom said she was going to make me stop acting, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s so mean.’”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-why-acting-wasn-t-fun-for-jessica-alba-when-she-was-younger”>Why acting wasn’t fun for Jessica Alba when she was younger</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio” id=”emb-3″><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”>
<iframe title=”Jessica Alba Returns To The Big Screen For The First Time In 5 Years | The View” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/kJB7UXl4M5A?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jessica-alba-wanted-ruin-looks-fantastic-four.html/”>
Jessica Alba Wanted to Ruin Her Looks for ‘Fantastic Four’ </a>
</p>
</div>
<p id=”par-10_34″>Alba admitted that she didn’t have the best time acting in the beginning. Although she found herself starring in a number of projects, she wasn’t truly convinced that she was good at her job.</p>
<p id=”par-11_39″>“[I was] so wildly insecure about my abilities as an actress. I felt so judged,” Alba said not too long ago on<em> <a href=”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1248-lets-be-real-with-sammy-j-56806419/”>Let’s Be Real with Sammy Jaye</a></em>.<em> </em>“I was my worst critic. I think I didn’t feel worthy.”</p>
<p id=”par-12_76″>Because of this, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/james-cameron-called-michael-weatherlys-dark-angel-chemistry-ex-jessica-alba-terrible.html/”>the <em>Dark Angel </em>star</a> asserted that she had little to no fun while doing her earlier movies. Instead, she spent much of her time on film sets admiring other actors who she felt truly enjoyed their jobs. However, as Alba matured, she seemed to enjoy her career a lot more. What might’ve helped was her learning how to let go of control when it came to both filming movies, and life in general.</p>
<p id=”par-13_101″>“I just think all of the outcomes were so disappointing, in Hollywood especially,” Alba said. “I was like, ‘This is so out of my control! Why?’ You would have a big weather issue and if 80% of the country is frozen, guess who’s not going to the movie theater that opening weekend? But you’re slotted for that certain opening weekend. … 10 years, someone had spent on this project. You’ve spent at least two years of your life and you think it’s going to turn out some way, and then the country’s frozen over and no one can leave their house.”</p>