“I don’t think this is happening to Natalie Portman”: Jessica Alba Wanted to Take a Drastic Measure for Her Fantastic Four Role After Being Typecast as ‘Hot Maid’ in Hollywood

Jessica Alba wished for a bold transformation to triumph over Hollywood typecast.

Following her renowned roles in Dark Angel and Honey, when Jessica Alba was offered the role of The Invisible Woman in Marvel’s 2005 movie Fantastic Four, it came as a breath of fresh air for the star. Therefore, in a bold move to challenge Hollywood stereotypes, Alba almost made a daring decision following her Marvel role. Advertisement

Jessica Alba as The Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four (2005) | Marvel Studios

According to reports, frustrated with being typecast as the hot chick for her glamorous appearance, Jessica Alba was desperate to prove her acting prowess by taking a transformative step. Since most of her roles were marked by her physical appearance over her acting abilities, Alba wanted to change her look in the Fantastic Four sequel, to get rid of her typical Hollywood image.

Fantastic Four Offered a Fresh Perspective to Jessica Albaʼs Career

Ever since her inception in Hollywood, Jessica Alba‘s career was majorly marked by roles that often emphasized her physicality and her looks over her acting skills. This constant recasting in roles to serve audiences’ voyeuristic pleasures, turned Alba nearly frustrated by her Hollywood career. So much so, that the actress went desperate to break out of the never-ending cycle.

That’s when Marvel offered her the opportunity to appear as the titular character Sue Storm aka The Invisible Woman in the 2005 superhero flick Fantastic Four. Finding a ray of hope with her iconic breakthrough role, Jessica Alba expressed her appreciation for the opportunity during an interview with Glock, via Campus Circle.

Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four as Sue Storm | Marvel Studios

“The scripts I get are always for the whore, the motorcycle chick in leather, or the horny maid. I get all these screenplays that start, ‘Tawnya is in the shower. The water streams down her naked, perky breasts.’ I don’t think this is happening to Natalie Portman.” 

“[In Fantastic Four] Sue keeps trying to keep everybody together. She just wants everyone to be okay. It seems like when she’s trying to do that, everyone is so caught up in their problems that’s when she disappears. And so it’s very metaphorical. I love it.” 

Appearing in Fantastic Four, not only offered her a wholesome experience of breaking away from the typical characters she was often eyed for, but Jessica Alba also connected with her Marvel character, personally. But despite finding the incredible opportunity to finally break away from Hollywood stereotypes, it wasn’t enough for Alba.

Jessica Alba Wanted to Eradicate Hollywood Stereotypes by Changing Her Looks  

In a bold move to challenge Hollywood stereotypes, Jessica Alba wanted to take a step further with her character by transforming for looks for the film’s 2007 sequel. After appearing in Fantastic Four and navigating her way out of Hollywood’s expectations, Alba decided to take drastic measures to reshape her public perception.

According to the film’s director Tim Story’s interview with Empire via Female First, Jessica Alba craved to be recognized for her talent rather than her appearance alone. This painful experience almost led Alba to ruin her looks for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, until the filmmaker talked sense into her.

Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) | Marvel Studios

“I think the beauty thing can sometimes get in the way. We’ve discussed it at length. She has this thing; she says, ‘Tim, make me ugly! Put dirt on me! Do something!’ and I’m like, ‘OK, Jessica, maybe not in this film…’ She’s such a talent, but sometimes it’s hard for people to look past that. Yet I think she is really starting to turn that around.”

Jessica Alba’s decision to potentially “ruin her looks” perhaps came from the traumatizing experience of being perpetually pigeonholed in the entertainment industry for her appearance. Thus, her willingness to defy stereotypes and Hollywood typecast spoke volumes of her resilience and commitment to authenticity.

Fantastic Four films are available on Disney+.