This fall, sex symbol Jessica Alba overcomes the type-casted shadow Hollywood defined her as by unleashing her comedic talent and showing viewers and studio execs alike that she can do more than smile; she can make people laugh.
“Good Luck Chuck,” starring Alba and Dane Cook, showcases both stars’ goofy personalities. The romantic comedy, however, posed career challenges for both as the actors delve into new film genres. Cook, who has been making people laugh for 17 years, is still learning how to incorporate his stand-up persona and energy into film, while Alba needs to show audiences that she is more than a pretty face.
“One thing I’ve always tried is to expand and not stay as one kind of character, if I want to be sarcastic or irreverent or whatever it may be,” Cook said. “So I would love it if at the end of this, you say, ‘Dane Cook is not a guy who wants to be known for one particular thing.’ I’d love to be known as a guy that takes chances in my acting.”
Alba has similar intentions. After starring in the action-filled show “Dark Angel” and movie renditions of “Fantastic Four,” she felt directors shied away from placing her in comedic and serious roles, simply branding her as a hot commodity with droves of male followers, Alba said.
“I’m always willing to take more serious roles,” she said. “There’s just not a whole lot out there that’s written well for women.”
Many producers have little interest in financing good scripts because most want to see box-office dollars, Alba said.
“Do studios exploit my looks to sell movies? Sure,” she accepted. “Do they exploit everybody else’s? Absolutely. Scarlett, Biel, Eva, Halle. All of us. It just kind of goes with the territory.”
Alba acknowledged that glamour and sexiness hold together the seams of the business, but she stays grounded by knowing that at the end of the day “you come into this world alone” and fame “only fulfills you to a certain point.”
Both Alba and Cook capitalized on the role of physical comedy in “Good Luck Chuck.” Alba’s self-proclaimed hero is Lucille Ball, and charming goofballs Goldie Hawn and Audrey Hepburn top her list as most inspirational.
“I’ve always wanted to do comedy,” said Alba, who will work alongside Mike Myers in her next project. “That’s one of the reasons why I got into the business in the first place. I love making people laugh. And Dane, you know, encouraged me to take everything a step further. (Dane) was a great teacher.”
Physical comedy is Cook’s “forte” along with his use of jargon, he said.
“I have the luxury of throwing in 17 years of knowledge of how my body works and how I know how to communicate feelings through physicality,” Cook added.
In the film, Chuck (Cook) carries a curse that forces a woman with whom he sleeps to fall in love with the next guy she meets. This may surface as a young male’s conquest, until he meets Cam (Alba), because she is the girl of his dreams whom he must repel or else she will find a different soulmate.
In reality, Cook fights for women.
“I’m pretty shy,” Cook said. “I’m actually introverted in my regular life…I’m a bit more of a…romantic type. I’d probably let a train run over me to have a girl like Jessica Alba.”
Now, Cook will continue to develop as a mega Hollywood actor, wrapping “Bachelor No. 2” with Kate Hudson. Despite the recent flash of fame confronting Cook, he realizes the competition he faces and chooses to focus more on his personal duty: To make people laugh. In upcoming weeks, he will announce a nationwide, massive-venue comedy tour to reconnect with fans.
“(Hollywood) is brutal,” said Cook, who made TIME Magazine’s most influential people list this year. “It’s a chew-you-up-and-spit-you-out kind of business. But I still feel like the guy that started stand-up comedy in 1990.”
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What: “Good Luck Chuck,” featuring Hollywood hottie Jessica Alba and comedian-turned-actor Dane Cook
When: In theaters now
Where: Regal Valley River Center Stadium 15, Cinemark 17
On Alba: The movie signals a breakthrough in her acting career to show viewers and studio execs that she can make people laugh in her first romantic comedy.
On Cook: Cook continues to explore his acting ability as he strikes a balance between his stand-up persona and film roles.