Jessica Alba lives life as a commitment-phobic babe in 'Valentine's Day'

Jessica Alba in "Valentine's Day"

Jessica Alba is consistently voted one of the sexiest female celebrities alive, but she usually doesn’t do romantic movies; her movie and TV projects are mostly in the action or thriller genre. The romantic comedy "Valentine’s Day" is one of the exceptions.

In "Valentine’s Day," Alba plays Morley Campbell, a workaholic businesswoman who isn’t too excited about getting engaged to Reed Bennett (played by Ashton Kutcher), the hopelessly romantic owner of a floral shop/café. At the "Valentine’s Day" press junket in Los Angeles, Alba shared her thoughts on working with Kutcher; how being a wife and mother has changed her perspective of work and Valentine’s Day; and her films "Machete" and "Meet the Little Fockers."

Are you a sucker for romantic comedies? And if so, do you have a favorite?

Yes. I think my favorite is "Say Anything."

What was it like working with "Valentine’s Day" director Garry Marshall?

It was awesome. I was taking notes the whole time, because his knack for comedic timing is impeccable. It’s amazing. And then within that, he still sets up this very comfortable, supportive, loving environment where you’re not nervous in trying to hit those beats. And he allows you to play and just have fun. He’s amazing.

Jessica Alba and Ashton Kutcher in "Valentine's Day"

Do you find yourself still learning a lot on movie sets?

Yeah. That’s what’s great about this business. Being an actor, I think the day you stop learning is maybe the day you shouldn’t be doing it anymore. It’s awesome to sort of evolve.

How would you describe Ashton Kutcher?

How lovable is he? He’s so sweet in this movie, playing a hopeless romantic.

Do you feel bad about what your character did to his character in "Valentine’s Day"?

I cried about it. I think making that decision is really hard. I loved the honesty that the character Morley had in that situation. I think a lot of people are afraid to make those decisions, so I thought it was pretty cool. And that’s another amazing thing about Garry: He allows women to be flawed and complicated, and they’re dynamic. I think some directors for romantic comedies kind of want the girl to be one way, and sometimes it can come off a little victim-y. And Garry never allows that to happen. The women are totally in power.

Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Alba in "Valentine's Day"

Do you think Valentine’s Day is one of the holidays that brings the most pressure?

Yes. When you’re little, certainly, because you’re comparing how full your little baggie is compared to your neighbors. So that was a lot of pressure when I was a kid. When you’re older, it depends on your state of mind. When I didn’t have a valentine, I was always working. I would focus on work and not care about it at all. Luckily, I’ve had the best valentine for the past five years [husband Cash Warren]. This will be our sixth year [together].

How has motherhood changed you as a person and in your work-related choices?

It’s certainly changed my priorities. I used to be a total workaholic. And now, nothing’s more important than my family and being a good mom to her and raising her in the safest, most loving, supportive environment I can create.

What advice do you think you’ll give your daughter about Valentine’s Day? Do you think you’ll pass on any advice your mother gave to you?

With boys? She said, "Stay away." [She laughs.] I’m probably just going to put [my daughter] on lockdown before she hits puberty, so she won’t even have to worry about it.

Cash Warren (Jessica Alba's husband) and Jessica Alba at the Los Angeles premiere of "Valentine's Day"

Did you ever watch your "Valentine’s Day" co-stars work on the movie in your time off?

We all worked on different days. It was pretty compartmentalized, so we didn’t have a whole lot of crossover while we were shooting. I wish I did. I would’ve loved to have been on the set.

You did a photo shoot for Entertainment Weekly with several of your "Valentine’s Day" co-stars. What was that like?

Hot! [She laughs.] Literally, not figuratively, although I guess it was hot in the other way, too. It was fine, because we all love this movie, and we love Garry. With what’s going on in the world and the economy and all the things with natural disasters, 90 minutes of your life, you can escape, and this movie does that for you. And you walk out feeling awesome. And I think, if nothing else, that’s a great thing to be a part of, and we all feel that.

What was it like reuniting with your "Sin City" director Robert Rodriguez for "Machete"?

It was great! I love him. He’s one of my dear friends. It was fun. I had a blast. We work really well together. I play two characters: I play identical twins. It’s totally crazy. It was kind of nuts. I just really enjoyed doing the movie. It was so spur-of-the-moment. It was like being on set with one of my good friends every day and playing. It was awesome!

You’re also in "Meet the Little Fockers." What was it like working with actors like Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Ben Stiller?

I was certainly pinching myself on that set. It was crazy.

Did you get to spend any time with Barbra Streisand?

No, I didn’t. I wish I did, although she might have banned me from the set because I might be a little bit of a stalker.

Photo credits: Photo #4: Getty Images. All other photos: New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Pictures.