Jessica Biel has managed the impossible in Hollywood these days. She has without question a physique that would put even male gym rats to shame, yet she's steadfast in her refusal to be a part of the Playboy-spread syndrome. She has also managed to transition from teenager TV (her role in CBS's 7th Heaven began when Biel was just 15) to film roles without the brand of bad-part implosion that swallows up so many young careers. Lastly, she's decided to "very deliberately" not be a part of the Hollywood lifestyle. Biel, 25, lives a relatively simple life in Colorado, stays away (for the most part) from the party circuit in LA and shows a remarkable capacity for being simply grateful for her success rather than imagining it to be her destiny. Though her roles have spanned drama through comedy, she has made a particular name for herself in action films such as Blade: Trinity, in which she portrayed perhaps the hottest and most lethal martial arts vampire killer to ever grace the netherworld. Though she's rumored to have dated the likes of actor Edward Norton and Yankee's star Derek Jeter, her new beau appears to be Britney Spears ex Justin Timberlake.
That aside, and put simply, Biel is a nice girl in a mean town, and her abiding success is testament to the possibility that anyone with talent and a sense of personal grace can make it. Industry asked her what keeps her grounded in such an otherworldly career, how she manages to maintain a fitness level that resulted in the best female "guns" in Tinseltown and what is her favorite beer, anyway?
Fred Topel for Industry: When did you decide you wanted to be an actor?
Jessica Biel: I don't remember when exactly I said I wanted to be an actress. I remember when I said I wanted to be a singer and I think the acting they came hand in hand almost because it was musicals that interested me. Whatever I had to do to sing, I'd do it. If I had to act, I acted. I was fine with that. I think my mom told me that I was watching Full House or Saved by the Bell; my favorite shows, I've seen every episode and I think I just said, Mom, I want to be on TV. And she just went, Okay, honey, sure. And then when I really got serious about it, I said I want to do this, I want to go to L.A., they were just really supportive and went with me.
Industry: What's it like being a lead on a film?
JB: It's nerve-wracking. It's always nerve-wracking for me I think. I always feel like I got myself into something that I don't know if I'll be able to handle. Not that I won't be able to handle just will I be able to do as well as I want to do? It's always a concern when you star in something, especially something that is such a huge budget and huge people and everyone is expecting so much great stuff. [In action films], I feel a lot of pressure to look right physically to make this character look believable and realistic, like she can kick these
guys in the head. But it's also very exciting. I'm not at all complaining about it and I'm excited. I'm having a great time. That's one of the things about the martial arts is it's really fun. It is so fun. Every day, instead of having these long dialogue scenes or long crying scenes, I'm just fighting with cool stunt people and we're making this great action and it's nothing like I've ever done before. It's really fun.
Industry: OK so for Blade: Trinity. What sort of training is necessary to look like that?
JB: [Laughs] I was in the gym six days a week for a couple of hours a day and then an hour of fight training, an hour of archery and a super-strict diet throughout the whole movie.
Industry: Was it a lot of heavy weights that did it?
JB: Yeah, heavy weightlifting to bulk up in the beginning, then once I got to a certain size it was a more a maintaining and lots of cardio to kind of lean as much we can down. That's why I have those striations down my muscles. Work to build, then maintain, then lean it out as much as we could.
Industry: Did you ever wonder if you could really do it? Did it ever cross your mind?
JB: No it didn't. It didn't cross my mind because I've been working out forever. The gym, for me, is not a chore. It's a stress release. It's something I enjoy a lot. I was getting paid to work out. I couldn't think of a better thing. I think I questioned my choreography sometimes. We planned out all these amazing fight sequences where I kill 13 guys at once show up and kind of cross your fingers and hope that everything you can get it done and it looks right and punches look right because it's weird. It's a weird thing to show a fake punch.
Industry: Did playing a role like this give you a good feeling?
JB: Yes, absolutely because you don't get to do this. I don't get to do this. I got to kick guys butts all day long.
Industry: Did it make you feel stronger as a person?
JB: Well yeah, it kind of gives you a false sense of strength though because I feel like, Yeah, bring it on. If I'm on the street? Bring it on, but then what could I do? My routine on you? Fake punch you? I always joke about that because my dad, you know my brother, "Oh you're good now," and no not really. I have this false sense of security that I could really kick your ass.
Industry: Can you look in the mirror and see what's beautiful?
JB: Yeah, I think so. Of course I have my moments where I'm feeling insecure or whatever, but I grew up with a wonderful family a wonderful mother who always loved me the way I am no matter if I was heavy or too thin or whatever. I was always playing sports and healthy, being healthy and being fit and being muscular was always something that was important to me. I think having had the childhood that I've had and the role models that I've had, I can definitely look in the mirror and see what's beautiful about myself and love my body for what it is.
Industry: What flaws make you insecure?
JB: Sometimes I feel like my butt's too big or my thighs are too big. When you go to a fitting and things are just not fitting right my back's too big. But sometimes those would be something, or sometimes feel like I haven't been to the gym and my arms aren't as defined as I want, and that would make me feel insecure about my arms. But it's so personal. You're just so critical about your own body. No one would ever notice what your pet peeve is about your body except you. And I always have my moments like everybody else does.
Industry: Having done provocative photo shoots in the past and now deciding to show less, have you found a balance between your sensuous side and your private side?
JB: Absolutely, and you don't do it. It's not even a balance for me. It's just I won't do it right now. I just don't feel that I feel comfortable doing nudity at this point in my life. I don't know how I'm going to feel later on. But right now, for me, to stay true to myself to what I feel comfortable with and what I feel not violated by is just not showing anything, any private areas.
Industry: Do you look back on that one topless photo shoot for Gear magazine [in 2000] with regret?
JB: I think I was a young kid who was rebelling against my mom, my dad everybody. I was just, like, 17 and thought the people that I was working with had my best interests in mind. I thought I had my best interests in mind. I thought that I was adult enough to stand up and say when enough was enough and I just wasn't. I wasn't up for the challenge and I got taken advantage of. And as I look back at it, I think it was a blessing because I don't ever have to go through that again and I've learned how to say no and I've learned when no is okay for me and what's okay for me. If it's not okay for somebody else, that's okay. But I didn't know that when I was a lot younger. I definitely had some sort of strange desire to make sure everyone was taken care of and I put myself last. And I would never do it again.
Industry: What keeps you grounded? Your family?
JB: I have an amazing family, for sure. I mean, I just have never been treated any differently from my parents or my family, or my friends for that matter. I've always had friends who weren't in the business, none of my family's in the business, I live in Colorado. I'm from Colorado, live here now, but I will always be from Colorado and have a place there. I just have always had a cool job. It's sort of always the way I've thought about it. And my parents would really kick my ass if they heard I was treating people any differently and taking advantage of the success and the luck that I have had in this business. So I think a huge part is their part, for sure.
Industry: Has a fan ever crossed the line?
JB: I don't think a fan's ever crossed the line in an encounter. I've gotten some kind of weird mail, a little creepy. Just how they repeat over and over how beautiful they think I am and how much they want to see me in a bikini. Will you please send me a picture of you in a bikini? Just stuff that you read and just kind of go, Oh, God, that makes me feel very uncomfortable. That's all I mean. Nothing hurtful ever.
Industry: OK, so what's the best pickup line a guy could use on you?
JB: [Laughs] Something not cheesy. Well, it's either got to be incredibly cheesy like, Wow, that takes a lot of guts to say that to somebody. You've got to be an interesting person. Or something just very straightforward. I think, Wow, you look great. I would love to take you out. Something really straight forward, or on the other end, very, very ridiculously over the top that makes me go, Who are you? Talk to me.
Look for Jessica in Powder Blue, alongside Ray Liotta and Patrick Swayze, scheduled to hit the theatres in March. The comedy Nailed will follow thereafter (the names of Biel's co-stars in this David O. Russell-directed film are unreleased as of press time). Slated for early 2009 release is Easy Virtue, in which Biel plays alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth. Biel is also rumored to be up for the lead in Warner Bros. Wonder Woman.
