BeforeJessica Albaestablished herself as a successful actress and businesswoman, she encountered sexism while paving her path in the entertainment industry.
In one of this week’s cover stories, Alba opens up to PEOPLE about how she felt pressure trying to prove that she is more than just her looks.
“I always wanted to be treated the way that I saw men being treated. Men were told, ‘Oh, you’re really smart’ if you have ideas about the character or the story, where for the women it was like, ‘What? You have an opinion?'” says the 40-year-old Honest Company founder. “It was like you came off as aggressive, where a man just looked really assertive and powerful.”
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Alba adds: “I think attitudes about strong women were quite oppressive in a lot of ways when it came to women having an equal standing.”
Jessica Alba.Mike Rosenthal
Throughout the course of her acting career, Alba has starred in countless roles, including theFantastic Fourfranchise,Machete,Sin City: A Dame to Kill forandL.A.’s Finest.
But even before she became a household name, performing was always in her blood.
“By the time I was 18, if I didn’t get one of those signs, I was going to go to college and figure out something else,” she adds.
Mike Rosenthal
Along with an extensive on-camera résumé, Alba has also carved out her own path in the business world. Her Honest Company, which she launched in 2012,went publicin May with an IPOvaluing her companyat $1.44 billion.
Asked when she has felt most empowered, Alba says it’s when she’s “allowed” herself to feel that way.
“For a long time, I felt like I didn’t deserve it,” she says. “Trying to reach a goal is one thing, but giving myself the space to be successful and acknowledge that, or even giving myself the space to feel intelligent, was hard.”
For more fromJessica Alba, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
As her business continues to expand, Alba hopes to be remembered as both “fearless and hardworking.”
“I hope people know that my heart’s in the right place,” she continues. “I feel so fortunate that I’ve had these incredible people come into my life and stick around even though I can be kind of annoying and relentless. But, I don’t know, we get to create pretty cool memories together.”
Dory Jackson
source: people.com
