Alba Emotional Performance Criticized (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Jessica Alba nearly walked away from Hollywood after a disheartening experience on the set of ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.’
The actress, who had already built a name for herself with roles in Honey, Sin City, and Good Luck Chuck, questioned her place in the industry when she was allegedly criticized for showing too much raw emotion during a pivotal scene.
Jessica Alba’s Not So ‘Fantastic’ Criticism
Alba, playing Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, alongside Chris Evans, Ioan Gruffudd, and Michael Chiklis, was part of one of Marvel’s early box office hits, even if the film received mixed reviews.
However, her time on set wasn’t as rewarding as one might expect. She later recalled being told by film director Tim Story that her crying was too “real” and “painful” and even going as far as to ask if she could ‘be prettier’ when she cried.
“He said, ‘Don’t do that thing with your face. Just make it flat. We can CGI the tears in,’” the 43-year-old said. “And then it all got me thinking: Am I not good enough? Are my instincts and my emotions not good enough? Do people hate them so much that they don’t want me to be a person? Am I not allowed to be a person in my work? And so I just said, ‘F**k it. I don’t care about this business anymore.”
Jessica Alba’s Continued Career After Fantastic Four
However, instead of walking away, Alba continued to take on new roles in films like The Eye, Machete, and Barely Lethal. Meanwhile, Fantastic Four itself saw a failed 2015 reboot starring Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, which flopped with both critics and audiences.
Eventually, Alba shifted her focus, stepping back from Hollywood to prioritize her health and family life. After welcoming her first child, she realized that her priorities had changed, and she wanted to dedicate herself to something more meaningful.
“That’s really what motivated me. My motivation was not like, ‘Am I ever going to get hired again?’ Frankly, I was at the top of my career,” she told People Magazine in 2021.
