A sand and shingle beach at Man O’War Cove, Dorset, England

A beach is a landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones. The particles comprising the beach are occasionally biological in origin, such as mollusc shells or coralline algae.

Wild beaches are beaches which do not have lifeguards or trappings of modernity nearby, such as resorts and hotels. They are sometimes called undeclared, undeveloped or undiscovered beaches. Wild beaches can be valued for their untouched beauty and preserved nature. They are most commonly found in less developed areas including, for example, parts of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Bangladesh is the home of the world's longest natural sandy sea beach, located at Cox's Bazar.

Beaches typically occur in areas along the coast where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments.

Overview[link]

Beaches can be popular on warm sunny days, such as Joss Bay beach in southern England.

Although the seashore is most commonly associated with the word beach, beaches are found by lakes and alongside large rivers, as well as by the sea or oceans.

Beach may refer to:

• small systems where rock material moves onshore, offshore, or alongshore by the forces of waves and currents; or
• geological units of considerable size.

The former are described in detail below; the larger geological units are discussed elsewhere under bars.

There are several conspicuous parts to a beach which relate to the processes that form and shape it. The part mostly above water (depending upon tide), and more or less actively influenced by the waves at some point in the tide, is termed the beach berm. The berm is the deposit of material comprising the active shoreline. The berm has a crest (top) and a face — the latter being the slope leading down towards the water from the crest. At the very bottom of the face, there may be a trough, and further seaward one or more long shore bars: slightly raised, underwater embankments formed where the waves first start to break.

The sand deposit may extend well inland from the berm crest, where there may be evidence of one or more older crests (the storm beach) resulting from very large storm waves and beyond the influence of the normal waves. At some point the influence of the waves (even storm waves) on the material comprising the beach stops, and if the particles are small enough (sand size or smaller), winds shape the feature. Where wind is the force distributing the grains inland, the deposit behind the beach becomes a dune.

These geomorphic features compose what is called the beach profile. The beach profile changes seasonally due to the change in wave energy experienced during summer and winter months. The beach profile is higher during the summer due to the gentle wave action during this season. The lower energy waves deposit sediment on the beach berm and dune, adding to the beach profile. Conversely, the beach profile is lower in the winter due to the increased wave energy associated with storms. Higher energy waves erode sediment from the beach berm and dune, and deposit it off shore, forming longshore bars. The removal of sediment from the beach berm and dune decreases the beach profile.

The line between beach and dune is difficult to define in the field. Over any significant period of time, sand is always being exchanged between them. The drift line (the high point of material deposited by waves) is one potential demarcation. This would be the point at which significant wind movement of sand could occur, since the normal waves do not wet the sand beyond this area. However, the drift line is likely to move inland under assault by storm waves.

Beach formation[link]

Beaches are the result of wave action by which waves or currents move sand or other loose sediments of which the beach is made as these particles are held in suspension. Alternatively, sand may be moved by saltation (a bouncing movement of large particles). Beach materials come from erosion of rocks offshore, as well as from headland erosion and slumping producing deposits of scree. Some of the whitest sand in the world, along Florida's Emerald Coast, comes from the erosion of quartz in the Appalachian Mountains. A coral reef offshore is a significant source of sand particles.

The shape of a beach depends on whether or not the waves are constructive or destructive, and whether the material is sand or shingle. Constructive waves move material up the beach while destructive waves move the material down the beach. On sandy beaches, the backwash of the waves removes material forming a gently sloping beach. On shingle beaches the swash is dissipated because the large particle size allows percolation, so the backwash is not very powerful, and the beach remains steep. Cusps and horns form where incoming waves divide, depositing sand as horns and scouring out sand to form cusps. This forms the uneven face on some sand shorelines.

Several beaches are claimed to be the "world's longest", including Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (120 km unbroken), Praia do Cassino, Fraser Island beach, 90 Mile Beach in Australia (151 km) and 90 Mile Beach in New Zealand (88 km), Troia-Sines Beach (63 km) in Portugal and Long Beach, Washington (which is about 40 km).

Beaches as habitat[link]

A combination of public carelessness and official negligence has turned this beach in Dar es Salaam into an open rubbish dump, posing a risk to public health.

A beach is an unstable environment which exposes plants and animals to changeable and potentially harsh conditions. Some small animals burrow into the sand and feed on material deposited by the waves. Crabs, insects and shorebirds feed on these beach dwellers. The endangered Piping Plover and some tern species rely on beaches for nesting. Sea turtles also lay their eggs on ocean beaches. Seagrasses and other beach plants grow on undisturbed areas of the beach and dunes.

Ocean beaches are habitats with organisms adapted to salt spray, tidal overwash, and shifting sands. Some of these organisms are found only on beaches. Examples of these beach organisms in the southeast US include plants like sea oats, sea rocket, beach elder, beach morning glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae), and beach peanut, and animals such as mole crabs (Hippoidea), coquina clams (Donax), ghost crabs, and white beach tiger beetles.^[1]

Beaches and recreation[link]

Playing in the surf is a favourite activity for many people. Porto Covo, west coast of Portugal

Coconut trees line the beaches of Takapoto Atoll in French Polynesia.

Beaches can be popular on warm sunny days. In the Victorian era, many popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines because even the all-covering beachwear of the period was considered immodest. This social standard still prevails in many Muslim countries. At the other end of the spectrum are topfree beaches and nude beaches where clothing is optional or not allowed. In most countries social norms are significantly different on a beach in hot weather, compared to adjacent areas where similar behaviour might not be tolerated and might even be prosecuted.

In more than thirty countries in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Costa Rica, South America and the Caribbean, the best recreational beaches are awarded Blue Flag status, based on such criteria as water quality and safety provision. Subsequent loss of this status can have a severe effect on tourism revenues.

Beaches are often dumping grounds for waste and litter, necessitating the use of beach cleaners and other cleanup projects. More significantly, many beaches are a discharge zone for untreated sewage in most underdeveloped countries; even in developed countries beach closure is an occasional circumstance due to sanitary sewer overflow. In these cases of marine discharge, waterborne disease from fecal pathogens and contamination of certain marine species is a frequent outcome.

Artificial beaches[link]

Some beaches are artificial; they are either permanent or temporary (For examples see Monaco, Paris, Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Nottingham, Toronto, Hong Kong and Singapore, and Tianjin). Some beaches in Hawaii are not man made and are called "black sand beaches". The beaches have no white sand; all the beaches consists of only black sand.

The soothing qualities of a beach and the pleasant environment offered to the beachgoer are replicated in artificial beaches, such as "beach style" pools with zero-depth entry and wave pools that recreate the natural waves pounding upon a beach. In a zero-depth entry pool, the bottom surface slopes gradually from above water down to depth. Another approach involves so-called urban beaches, a form of public park becoming common in large cities. Urban beaches attempt to mimic natural beaches with fountains that imitate surf and mask city noises, and in some cases can be used as a play park.

Beach nourishment involves pumping sand onto beaches to improve their health. Beach nourishment is common for major beach cities around the world; however the beaches that have been nourished can still appear quite natural and often many visitors are unaware of the works undertaken to support the health of the beach. Such beaches are often not recognized (by consumers) as artificial.

A concept of IENCE has been devised to describe investment into the capacity of natural environments. IENCE is Investment to Enhance the Natural Capacity of the Environment and includes things like beach nourishment of natural beaches to enhance recreational enjoyment and snow machines that extend ski seasons for areas with an existing snow economy developed upon a natural snowy mountain. As the name implies IENCE is not quite mainstream natural science as its goal is to artificially invest into an environment's capacity to support anthropogenic economic activity. An artificial reef designed to enhance wave quality for surfing is another example of IENCE. The Surfrider Foundation has debated the merits of artificial reefs with members torn between their desire to support natural coastal environments and opportunities to enhance the quality of surfing waves. Similar debates surround beach nourishment and snow cannon in sensitive environments.

Restrictions on access[link]

Public access to beaches is restricted in some parts of the world.^[2][3] For example, most beaches on the Jersey Shore are restricted to people who can purchase beach tags.^[4]

See also[link]

• Beach cleaner
• Beach evolution
• Coast
• List of beaches
• Sand art and play
• Shore
• Strand plain
• Urban beach

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Bascom, W. 1980. Waves and Beaches. Anchor Press/Doubleday, Garden City, New York. 366 p.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Beaches

Look up beach in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• UNESCO beach erosion and formation
• Beach habitats^{[dead link]}
• Sea Foam: What Is It? – Beaufort County Library^{[dead link]}
• Seasonal beach profile

v t e Coastal geography Landforms Anchialine pool Avulsion Archipelago Atoll Ayre Barrier bar Barrier island Bay Baymouth bar Bight Brackish marsh Cape Channel Cliff Cliffed coast Cliff-top dune Coast Coastal plain Coastal waterfall Continental margin Continental shelf Coral reef Cove Dune Estuary Firth Fjard Fjord Flat coast Freshwater marsh Fundus Gat Geo Graded shoreline Gulf Headland Inlet Intertidal wetland Island Islet Isthmus Lagoon Marine terrace Mouth bar Raised shorelines Machair Mega delta Mudflat Natural arch Peninsula Reef Regressive delta Ria River delta Rocky shore Salt marsh Shore Sound Stack Steep coast Strait Strand plain Submarine canyon Tied island Tidal island Tidal marsh Tide pool Tombolo More... Beaches Beach cusps Beach evolution Beach ridge Beachrock Modern recession of beaches Pocket beach Raised beach Storm beach Shingle beach Processes Blowhole Coastal erosion Concordant coastline Current Cuspate foreland Discordant coastline Emergent coastline Feeder bluff Fetch Headlands and bays Large scale coastal behaviour Longshore drift Marine regression Marine transgression Rip current Sea cave Sea foam Shoal Spit Submergent coastline Surf break Surf zone Surge channel Swash Volcanic arc Wave-cut platform Wave shoaling Wind wave Wrack zone Management Coastal management Accretion Integrated coastal zone management Submersion Related Bulkhead line Coastline length Intertidal zone Littoral zone Particle size boulder shingle pebble sand silt clay Physical oceanography Region of freshwater influence Scree More...

Kelly Brook
Brook at the January 2009 London Boat Show.
Born	Kelly Ann Parsons (1979-11-23) 23 November 1979 (age 32) Rochester, Kent, England, UK
Occupation	Model, Actress
Years active	1995 – present
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Hair colour	Brown
Eye colour	Dark Brown
Measurements	34-25-35 (US);[citation needed]
Dress size	8(UK)
Website
http://www.kellybrook.com/

Kelly Brook (born Kelly Ann Parsons;^[1] (1979-11-23)23 November 1979) is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, television presenter and Playboy model.

Early life[link]

Brook was born and brought up in Rochester, Kent, England.^[1] She is the daughter of Sandra, a cook, and Kenneth Parsons, a scaffolder. She has a younger brother, Damian, and an older half-sister, Sasha.^[1] Kenneth died aged 57 in Rochester from lung cancer^[2] on 26 November 2007, during Brook's time on Strictly Come Dancing.^[3]

Brook attended the Thomas Aveling School in Warren Wood, Rochester. She then studied at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London for three years before becoming a professional model.^[4]

Modelling career[link]

Brook's modelling career began at 16 after winning a beauty competition, in which she was entered by her mother.^[1] She later worked on a range of advertising campaigns, including for Foster's Lager, Renault Mégane, Walker's crisps, Piz Buin and Bravissimo, a company that specialises in bras and lingerie for large-breasted women. Her figure eventually caught the eye of the editorial team of the Daily Star tabloid,^[4] which began featuring her as a Page Three girl.

Brook's picture soon began appearing in other lads' mags such as GQ, Loaded and FHM. In April of the same year, a poll over 5,000 women for Grazia magazine considered her to have the best British female body. She also topped the 'FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World' list in 2005, which was said to have polled 15 million people. Appearing in this list every year since 1998, she ranked No.34 in 2008, No.67 in 2009 and No.7 in 2010.^[5] She was the cover star of FHM's World Cup 2010 special issue,^[6] and was on the cover of the magazine in April 2011.^[5]

In February 2007 it was announced that Brook had signed a contract, reported to be worth around £1m, to represent Unilever's Lynx bodyspray, known as "Axe" in the US and in continental Europe.^[7] She has appeared on billboards, in newspapers and on-line as part of their advertising campaign.^[8] She has also appeared in commercials for Sky + and T Mobile and modelled for Reebok.

In 2010, she was chosen as the "new face and body" of lingerie maker Ultimo's advertising campaign.^[9] In September 2010, Brook appeared in the American edition of Playboy magazine.^[10] In October 2010, Kelly Brook appeared live at Clapham Picture House to surprise cinemagoers as part of a promotion for Carlsberg and Sky 3D.^[11] In November 2010, Brook presented an award at MTV's EMA's in Madrid.^[12]

Brook produces her own line of swimwear with New Look, which she herself has modelled.^[13]

Television[link]

Presenter[link]

In 1997, aged eighteen, Brook started presenting youth television programmes on MTV, Granada Television and the Trouble TV channel.^[4]

Brook had a breakthrough into mainstream presenting in January 1999, when she was chosen to replace Denise van Outen as the female half of The Big Breakfast hosting team, alongside Johnny Vaughan. She left the show in July 1999.^[14]

In 2005, she hosted the reality television programme Celebrity Love Island for ITV.

Reality television[link]

In 2007, Brook participated in the celebrity dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1, with dance partner was Brendan Cole. During the TV series, her father Kenneth Parsons died from cancer,^[3] and although she initially decided to continue dancing in his memory, she withdrew from the competition in week nine.^[15]

She also competed in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2008, dancing the Jive with Brian Fortuna, Brendan Cole having to compete with his later partner Lisa Snowdon. Brook and Fortuna were put into fourth place, but with the studio audience's vote they came second to Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett.

In 2008, Brook took Jennifer Ellison's place as one of the three judges on the second series of the reality TV programme Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life,^[16] broadcast between September and November 2008.

In January 2009, she joined the third series of Britain's Got Talent as a fourth judge, but was subsequently axed from the programme after less than a week on the panel, the producers having decided that the four-judge format was "too complicated".^[17] Brook was billed as a guest judge in the episode in which she appeared, taped in Manchester and aired on 16 May. In October 2009, Brook claimed that Britain's Got Talent hosts Ant & Dec had been the cause of her removal as the fourth judge. She claimed that she was asked to leave the show after she upset the pair.^[18]

Acting career[link]

In 1997, she appeared in a Pulp video Help the Aged with Huck Whitney of the band the Flaming Stars, in a slow dance sequence.^{[citation needed]}

Brook made her full screen debut with a minor role in the film Sorted. Shortly thereafter, she appeared in the film Ripper. She played the girlfriend of Clark Kent/Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor in four episodes of the American science fiction drama Smallville during the show's first season (2001–02). She has also completed assignments as a film actress in Canada and made a short appearance as Lyle's girlfriend in the 2003 film The Italian Job.

Her first starring role was in School for Seduction, a 2004 film – she received positive reviews for her role, "Seduction offers a few twists on the rapidly degenerating format, not the least of which is the comely Brook in the lead role."^[19] In 2004, she played character Nikki Morris in the video game Need for Speed Underground 2, alongside Brooke Burke. In 2005, she appeared in the Philippe Vidal film House of 9, a thriller about nine seemingly unconnected strangers captured and locked in a house together. The people are forced to compete against one another, in order to survive.

Also in 2006, she starred in a Marple drama on ITV and appeared as herself throughout the second series of Moving Wallpaper, also for ITV, in 2009. She acted in the science fiction thriller Shadow Play, directed by Nick Simon.^[20]

Brook had a leading role in the horror comedy remake Piranha 3D. The film received a worldwide theatrical release on 20 August 2010. Piranha 3D grossed $83,188,163 on a budget of $24,000,000.^[21]

Theatrical work[link]

In December 2000, she played exotic dancer Anya in the play "Eye Contact" at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith.^[22][23]

In October 2008, she returned to the west end as Jeannie, in Neil LaBute's Fat Pig at London's Comedy Theatre.^[22][23] Her performances have had mixed reviews, the Daily Mail said "Kelly Brook has a pencil waist and rabbit-thigh legs, but she is not a great interpreter of a role".^[24]

In November 2009, she began playing Celia in Calendar Girls at the Noel Coward Theatre, a role previously played by Jerry Hall.^[25]

Personal life[link]

Brook was in a seven-year relationship with actor Jason Statham, until 2004.^[26][27] Brook met American actor Billy Zane while filming thriller Survival Island in Greece in 2004.^[28] Brook and Zane were engaged to be married in the summer of 2008 and acquired a house in Kent, but Brook postponed the wedding upon the death of her father in November 2007. The couple split in April 2008 and briefly got back together before ending their relationship in August 2008.^[28][29]

Brook has been dating Thom Evans since December 2010. On 16 March 2011, she announced via her Twitter account that she and Evans were expecting a baby girl.^[30] On 9 May 2011, Brook suffered a miscarriage.^[31]

Brook is an animal lover and posed nude with her body painted in scales for the "Whose Skin Are You In?" campaign by PETA.^[32]

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kelly Brook

• Official Website
• Kelly Brook – Glamour Heaven Profile
• Kelly Brook at the Internet Movie Database

v t e Britain's Got Talent Got Talent Series 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 Presenters Ant & Dec · Stephen Mulhern Judges Current Simon Cowell · Amanda Holden · Alesha Dixon · David Walliams Former Kelly Brook · Piers Morgan · Michael McIntyre · David Hasselhoff Guest Louis Walsh · Carmen Electra Winners Paul Potts · George Sampson · Diversity · Spelbound · Jai McDowall · Ashleigh and Pudsey Other notable contestants Series 1 Bessie Cursons · Connie Talbot · Damon Scott · Bar Wizards · Jake Pratt Series 2 Signature · Andrew Johnston · Escala · Faryl Smith · Kate and Gin · Charlie Green · Charlie Wernham Series 3 Susan Boyle · Julian Smith · Aidan Davis · Hollie Steel · Shaheen Jafargholi · Callum Francis · DJ Talent · Flawless · John Farnworth Series 4 Twist and Pulse · Paul Burling · ReConnected · Myles and Connor · Kev Orkian · Stevie Starr · The Cheeky Girls · Matthew Ahmet Series 5 Ronan Parke · Out of the Blue Series 6 Jonathan and Charlotte · Only Boys Aloud · The Loveable Rogues · Ryan O'Shaughnessy  · Molly Rainford · The Zimmers Related articles List of episodes · Discography · SYCOtv · FremantleMedia · talkbackTHAMES · Thames · ITV Category

Jessica Alba
Alba in 2010
Born	Jessica Marie Alba (1981-04-28) April 28, 1981 (age 31) Pomona, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1994–present
Spouse	Cash Warren (m. 2008) «start: (2008)»"Marriage: Cash Warren to Jessica Alba" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Jessica_Alba)
Children	2

Jessica Marie Alba (born April 28, 1981^[1]) is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994). Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel (2000–2002).^[2][3] Alba later appeared in various films including Honey (2003), Sin City (2005), Fantastic Four (2005), Into the Blue (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Good Luck Chuck both in 2007.^[4][5]

Alba has been called a sex symbol.^[6][7] She appears on the "Hot 100" section of Maxim and was voted number one on AskMen.com's list of "99 Most Desirable Women" in 2006, as well as "Sexiest Woman in the World" by FHM in 2007.^[8][9][10] The use of her image on the cover of the March 2006 Playboy sparked a lawsuit by her, which was later dropped.^[11] She has also won various awards for her acting, including the Choice Actress Teen Choice Award and Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, and a Golden Globe nomination for her lead role in the television series Dark Angel.^[4]

Early life[link]

Alba was born in Pomona, California^[1] to Catherine (née Jensen) and Mark Alba. Her mother is of Danish and French Canadian descent and her father is Mexican American.^[12] She has a younger brother, Joshua. Her father's Air Force career took the family to Biloxi, Mississippi and Del Rio, Texas, before settling back in California when she was nine years old.^[3][12] Alba described her family as being a "very conservative family – a traditional, Catholic, Latin American family" and herself as very liberal; she says she had identified herself as a "feminist" as early as age five.^[13]

Alba's early life was marked by a multitude of physical maladies. During childhood, she suffered from collapsed lungs twice, had pneumonia four to five times a year, as well as a ruptured appendix and a tonsillar cyst.^[3] Alba became isolated from other children at school, because she was in the hospital so often due to her illnesses that no one knew her well enough to befriend her.^[14] Alba has also had asthma since she was a child.^[3] Alba has said that her family's frequent moving also contributed to her isolation from her peers.^[13] She has acknowledged that she has suffered from obsessive–compulsive disorder during her childhood.^[15][16] Alba graduated from high school at age 16,^[17] and she subsequently attended the Atlantic Theater Company.^[18]

Career[link]

Alba at the 2008 Paris premiere for The Eye.

Alba expressed interest in acting since the age of five. In 1992, the 11-year-old Alba persuaded her mother to take her to an acting competition in Beverly Hills, whose grand prize was free acting classes. Alba won the grand prize, and took her first acting lessons. An agent signed Alba nine months later.^[3][18][19] Her first appearance on film was a small role in the 1994 feature Camp Nowhere as Gail. She was originally hired for two weeks but her role turned into a two-month job in a leading role when one of the prominent actresses dropped out.^[2]

Alba appeared in two national television commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney as a child. She was later featured in several independent films. She branched out into television in 1994 with a recurring role as the vain Jessica in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy series The Secret World of Alex Mack.^[3] She then performed the role of Maya in the first two seasons of the television series Flipper.^[2][3] Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk, and she was a PADI-certified scuba diver, skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia.^[3][20]

In 1998, she appeared as Melissa Hauer in a first-season episode of the Steven Bochco crime-drama Brooklyn South, as Leanne in two episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210, and as Layla in an episode of The Love Boat: The Next Wave.^{[citation needed]} In 1999, she appeared in the Randy Quaid comedy feature P.U.N.K.S..^[2] After Alba graduated from high school, she studied acting with William H. Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, at the Atlantic Theater Company, which was developed by Macy and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and film director, David Mamet.^[18][21]

Alba rose to greater prominence in Hollywood in 1999 after appearing as a member of a snobby high school clique in the Drew Barrymore romantic comedy Never Been Kissed, and as the female lead in the 1999 comedy-horror film Idle Hands, opposite Devon Sawa.^[5]

Her big break came when writer/director James Cameron picked Alba from a pool of 1,200 candidates for the role of the genetically-engineered super-soldier, Max Guevara, on the Fox sci-fi television series Dark Angel. Co-created by Cameron, the series starred Alba, and ran for two seasons until 2002, earning her critical acclaim as well as a Golden Globe nomination.^[5][22] Alba later admitted to practicing anorexia while in preparation for Dark Angel.^[23]

Alba has been well-received in popular culture. She received the Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress and Saturn Award for Best Actress for her role in Dark Angel. In 2006, Alba received an MTV Movie Award for "Sexiest Performance" for Sin City.^[4][10][24] Her acting has also drawn criticism, however, as she was nominated for a 2007 Razzie Award for Worst Actress for her performances in Awake, Good Luck Chuck, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.^[25] She was also nominated for the same award in 2005 for her performances in Fantastic Four and Into the Blue.^[26]

Alba's most notable film roles have included an aspiring dancer-choreographer in Honey, exotic dancer Nancy Callahan in Sin City, and as the Marvel Comics character Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four. She then appeared in its sequel, in Into the Blue later that year, and Good Luck Chuck a few years later.^[4][27][28] Alba hosted the 2006 MTV Movie Awards and performed sketches spoofing the movies King Kong, Mission: Impossible 3, and The Da Vinci Code.^[29] In February 2008, she hosted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Science and Technical Awards.^[30] Alba has been represented by talent agents Patrick Whitesell^[31] and Brad Cafarelli.^[11]

In 2008, Alba made her acting transition to the horror-film genre in The Eye, a remake of the Hong Kong original.^[12][32] The film was released on February 1, 2008. Though the film was not well received by critics,^[33] Alba's performance was both positively and negatively received. Alba won a Teen Choice for Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller and a Razzie Award for Worst Actress-nomination.^[34] Also in 2008, Alba starred alongside Mike Myers and Justin Timberlake in "box office bomb" The Love Guru. Alba was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actress.^[4]

In late 2008, Alba signed on to star as the lead role in An Invisible Sign of My Own.^[35] The movie finished filming in November 2008.^[36] It premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival and was released to theaters in May 2011.^[37][38]

In 2010, Alba starred in five films. She played Joyce Lakeland, a prostitute in The Killer Inside Me, film adaption of the book of the same name which co-starred Kate Hudson and Casey Affleck. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.^{[39][40][41][40][42]} Her second film of the year was the hit romantic comedy Valentine's Day, directed by Garry Marshall.^[43][44][45] She portrayed Ashton Kutcher's girlfriend, Morley Clarkson, in the ensemble film that included Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Garner, among others.^[44][46][47] It was released on February 12, 2010.^[47] Later in the year, she appeared in action film Machete, in An Invisible Sign of My Own and in Little Fockers, reuniting with Robert De Niro who was also in Machete.

In August 2010, it was announced that Alba would appear in Spy Kids 4.^[48] The film was released a year later.

In January 2012, Alba and business partner Chris Gavigan launched The Honest Company, a collection of toxin-free household goods, diapers, and body care products.^[49] In March 2012, Alba announced that she will be releasing a book, The Honest Life, based on her experiences creating a natural, non-toxic life for her family. The book, slated for release in early 2013, will be published by Rodale.^[50]

Her next projects include comedy A.C.O.D.^[51] and animated film Escape from Planet Earth.^[52] Alba will also reprise her role as Santana in Machete's sequel Machete Kills^[53] and as Nancy Callahan in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, sequel to 2005's Sin City.^[54] Filming for Sin City is expected to start in the summer of 2012 with a release set in October 2013.^[54]

Public image[link]

In 2001, Alba was ranked No. 1 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list. She said that "I have to go to certain lengths to use sexuality to my advantage, while guiding people to thinking the way I want them to."^[55] In 2005, Alba was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People, and also appeared in the magazine's 100 Most Beautiful list in 2007. In 2002, Alba was voted as the fifth Sexiest Female Star for 2002 in a Hollywood.com poll, No.4 in the Top 10 Sci-Fi Babes, No.6 in FHM's Sexiest Girls for their poll, and ranked at No.12 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" 2002 edition.^[56] In 2005, Alba was ranked at No.5 on the Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list.^[57]

On the cover of the March 2006 issue, Playboy magazine named Alba among its 25 Sexiest Celebrities, and the Sex Star of the Year. Alba was involved in litigation against Playboy for its use of her image (from a promotional shot for Into the Blue) without her consent, which she contends gave the appearance that she was featured in the issue in a "nude pictorial". However, she later dropped the lawsuit after receiving a personal apology from Playboy owner Hugh Hefner, who agreed to make donations to two charities that Alba has supported.^[11]

When reports surfaced that a 21-year-old Chinese girl was seeking plastic surgery to resemble Alba in order to win back an ex-boyfriend, the star spoke out against the perceived need to change one's appearance for love.^[58]

Alba in 2007 at the London premiere of Fantastic Four

In 2006, Alba ranked No.3 on E! Television's 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies. In 2006 readers of AskMen.com voted Alba No. 1 on 99 Most Desirable Women,^[9] while in 2007, Maxim Magazine placed Alba on the number 2 spot of their "Top 100".^[10] Both GQ and In Style had Alba on their June 2008 covers,^[59][60] and in May, after eight million votes, FHM (UK and USA editions) named Alba the winner as "2007's Sexiest Woman in the World".^[61] Alba has been regarded as one of the world's most attractive women, being named to Maxim's Hot 100 in 2008.^[62] In 2007, Alba was ranked in at No.1 in FHM's Sexiest Girls of 2007 poll, in the magazine's Latvian edition. Alba was ranked No.4 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in 2007. In 2006 and 2007, Alba was voted No.1 as the most sexy woman in the world by the Norwegian FHM.^[57] Alba appeared in the 2009 Campari calendar. Campari printed 9,999 copies of the calendar featuring photos of Alba posing sexually in swimsuits, and high heels.^[63] In 2008, Alba was ranked No.34 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list, was ranked No.2 on Wizard magazine's "Sexiest Women of TV" list, and was named in GQ Magazine one of the 25 Sexiest Women in film of all time.^[57] Alba is the only woman who has made the Maxim Magazine Hot 100 list in all the years it was published; from 2000 to 2012.^[64] She appeared on Maxim's 2011 Hot 100 list, finishing 21.^[65] She was named one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time" by Men's Health.^[66] People named her one of 2012 Most Beautiful at Every Age.^[67]

Alba fears being typecast as a sex kitten based on the bulk of parts offered to her, commenting, "Somehow, I don't think this is happening to Natalie Portman."^[69] In the interview, Alba said she wants to be taken seriously as an actress but believes she needs to do movies that she would otherwise not be interested in to build her career, stating that eventually she hopes to be more selective in her film projects.^[69] Alba also maintains a strict no-nudity clause in her contract. She was given the option to appear nude in Sin City by the film's directors, Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, but declined the offer, saying, "I don't do nudity. I just don't. Maybe that makes me a bad actress. Maybe I won't get hired in some things. But I have too much anxiety".^[70] She remarked of a GQ shoot in which she was scantily clad, "They didn't want me to wear the granny panties, but I said, 'If I'm gonna be topless I need to wear granny panties."^[71] In March 2010, she reasserted her position to Scarlet magazine, saying, "I can act sexy and wear sexy clothes but I can’t go naked."^[72] For the shower scene in Machete, she was wearing underwear, which was digitally removed afterwards.^[72]

Personal life[link]

Religion[link]

Alba was raised as a Catholic^[73] throughout her teenage years,^[74] but left the church after four years because she felt she was being judged for her appearance, explaining: "Older men would hit on me, and my youth pastor said it was because I was wearing provocative clothing, when I wasn't. It just made me feel like if I was in any way desirable to the opposite sex that it was my fault, and it made me ashamed of my body and being a woman".^[75]

Alba also had objections to the church's condemnations of premarital sex and homosexuality, and what she saw as a lack of strong female role models in the Bible, explaining "I thought it was a nice guide, but it certainly wasn't how I was going to live my life."^[70] Her "religious devotion [began] to wane" at the age of 15 when she guest-starred as a teenager with gonorrhea in the throat in a 1996 episode of the television series Chicago Hope. Her friends at church reacted negatively to her role, making her lose faith in the church.^[3] However, she has stated that she still holds her belief in God despite leaving the church.^[76]

Relationships and family[link]

While filming Dark Angel in January 2000, Alba began a three year relationship with her co-star Michael Weatherly, which caused controversy due to their 12-year age difference.^[77] Weatherly proposed to Alba on her twentieth birthday, which she accepted.^[12] In August 2003, Alba and Weatherly announced that they'd ended their relationship.^[3] In July 2007, Alba spoke out about the breakup, saying "I don't know [why I got engaged]. I was a virgin. He was 12 years older than me. I thought he knew better. My parents weren't happy. They're really religious. They believe God wouldn't allow the Bible to be written if it wasn't what they are supposed to believe. I'm completely different."^[78] Alba had at one time said she envisioned a much older man as her ideal partner, making references to Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, Robert Redford, and Michael Caine. She said, "I have this thing for older men. They've been around and know so much."^[79]

Alba met Cash Warren, son of actor Michael Warren, while filming Fantastic Four in 2004.^[80][81] Alba married Warren in Los Angeles on Monday, May 19, 2008.^[82][83] They have two daughters: Honor Marie Warren (born 2008)^[84][85] and Haven Garner Warren (born 2011).^[86] The first pictures of Honor Marie appeared in the July 2008 issue of OK! magazine, which reportedly paid $1.5 million.^[87]

Charity and politics[link]

In 2005, Alba offered her acting talents for free, to raise money for AIDS charity Amfar at the Cannes Film Festival. The Industry had held a benefit for the US research foundation. Alba had caused "the greatest stir" by promising to star as an unpaid actress in one of The Lord of the Rings producer Bob Weinstein's movies, if Weinstein agreed to bid $100,000 for tennis lessons with sports stars Monica Seles and Boris Becker.^[88]

Alba's charity work includes participation with Clothes Off Our Back, Habitat for Humanity, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Project HOME, RADD, Revlon Run/Walk for Women, SOS Children Villages, Soles4Souls, and Step up.^[89] Alba openly endorsed and supported Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama during the 2008 primary season.^[90] Alba is an ambassador for the 1Goal movement to provide education to children in Africa.^[91]

Alba posed for a bondage-themed print advertising campaign by Declare Yourself, a campaign encouraging voter registration among youth for the 2008 United States presidential election. The ads photographed by Mark Liddell,^[92][93] which feature Alba wrapped in and gagged with black tape, drew national media attention. The ads were described by some as being "Shocking".^[93] Alba said of doing the advertisements that "it didn't freak me out at all." Alba also said "I think it is important for young people to be aware of the need we have in this country to get them more active politically," and "People respond to things that are shocking."^[94]

In June 2009, while filming The Killer Inside Me in Oklahoma City, Alba was involved in a controversy with residents when she pasted posters of sharks around town.^{[citation needed]} Alba said that she was trying to bring attention to the diminishing population of great white sharks. Media outlets speculated that Alba would be pursued and charged with vandalism.^[95] On June 16, 2009, Oklahoma City police said that they would not pursue criminal charges against Alba, because none of the property owners wanted to pursue it.^[96][97] Alba apologized in a statement to People magazine and said that she regretted her actions.^[96] She later donated an undisclosed amount of money (over $500)^[98] to the United Way, whose billboard she had obscured with one of the shark posters.^{[99][100][101][102]}

In 2011, Alba participated in a two day lobbying effort in Washington D.C. in support of the Safe Chemicals Act, a revision of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.^[103][104]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]