Jessica Biel is the Alpha female of "The A-Team," opening citywide this week.

Photo: Mario Testino for Vogue

 

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She's not 'Jennifer.' Let's get that straight right now. But one moment with Jessica Biel, you'll never mistake that charming intensity or cover girl face. Find out what happens when she hits the action target between the eyes. And, as a self-professed 'adrenaline junkie,' it is more than a fair match. Here's part two of a four-part Personalities Interviews series with the cast of 'The A-Team.'

She’s the face and body that’s graced – and excited – many a magazine cover in recent years, so Jessica Biel is used to taking it all in stride. And while she may elicit her own fair share of attention from the gossip blogosphere and beyond, something tells you she can more than handle herself. It all begins with the firm handshake that belies a well of real strength lurking beneath her relaxed, affable manner.

We meet within the plush, soothing, suede-walled confines of a West Hollywood hotel one April afternoon. Your eye goes straight to the details photo editors – and a legion of fan boys – have come to appreciate. Skin? Flawless. Outfit? Expertly and effortlessly composed of an emerald green L’Agence top (emphasizing those shoulders!), black skinny pants from Jenni Kayne and a stellar set of earrings from Jamie Wolf, for those interested in that sort of thing. Smile? Luminous. But it is the stature and poise, aided ever so slightly by a great pair of black Louboutin kicks, which commands your attention. The woman has presence, as they say. Bottom line? Ms. Biel also really knows how to accentuate her best self for company.

Minnesota-born but Colorado-raised, 28-year-old Biel has learned the importance of being private in a very public media age. Yet, at the same time, she would offer up a few glimpses into her real life as we had a warm-up discussion. The first topic? Try the classic family dinner. Discussing how my family of six adults was like having a mob scene with food, Biel laughed. But, she looked a little wistful when she said, ”That’s not quite the way it is with my family. We’re a lot quieter.” Which makes her on-screen work quite fascinating to break down.

It was 1996 when Biel segued from an early career of modeling and television adverts to star as Mary Camden in the long-running family ensemble drama “7th Heaven” at the age of 14. Initially, the series courted plenty of attention for having its patriarch also be a Protestant minister. The show proved a popular hit, running for 11 years, but Biel started to chafe a little against the wholesome image projected by the show. (A friend, who remains a steadfast fan of the show in New York, always remarks her favorite years were when “Mary went bad.”)

But, even with juicier storylines, Biel took matters into her own hands in redefining her image and career. It was a controversial move for the actress, who was seeking to break out of the girl-next-door image. While the now-infamous Gear magazine photo shoot would cause plenty of headaches for the series’ network and Team Biel, she found the momentum to move forward after six years.

Biel’s efforts in feature films before and after “7th Heaven” remain a striking blend of fits and starts. As part of the Hollywood youthquake, she’s done her best with roles in such varied commercial films as “Summer Catch,” “The Rules of Attraction,” “Blade: Trinity,” “Stealth,” Cameron Crowe’s “Elizabethtown,” the hit reboot of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (pictured left) and “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” with Adam Sandler. However, credit both 2006’s magic-themed drama “The Illusionist” (with Edward Norton & Paul Giamatti) and 2009’s Noel Coward-penned drawing room comedy “Easy Virtue” (with Colin Firth & Ben Barnes) in broadening the media and audience’s perception of her rising star.

After more than a decade in the public eye, Biel has learned to allow either her work or philanthropic efforts with the Make the Difference Network (which she co-founded with her father) to offset the intense scrutiny that now comes with being a “celebrity.” For every tabloid fever caused by its rabid interest in her relationship with music superstar Justin Timberlake, you will also find Biel making sure people know that she’s making sure her life has a broader dimension and perspective.

"I'm thinking about trekking to Everest base camp," Biel recently said to People Magazine while participating at the 13th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York's Times Square. "That's kind of the next goal."

Of course, this admission stems after a recent visit to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa last January with actor Emile Hirsch and members of the United Nation Foundation. The trek was conducted in an effort to raise awareness and funds for the global water crisis. Yet, chances are, if you’re reading the celeb rags right now, you will see a photo of Biel and Timberlake, with the usual breathless commentary, looking every inch the power couple at this year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute's gala.

“You kind of grow a thick skin if you don’t have it already,” Biel admitted. “You don’t look at that stuff. You don’t read that stuff. I really try to ignore it and just try to have a really sort of Zen-like attitude about it.”

In between each question and answer during our time together, that Zen-ness would also give way to a hearty laugh and a wicked sense of humor. Being feisty and self-assured is a sexy combination, something else that Biel wears very well. And make no mistake. Quiet and demure she is not. Remember, she can be viewed on film carrying a gun without fear and knows how to throw a punch, for real. While our time may have been fleeting, but I was left with the confirmed impression audiences have yet to see the full Biel on or off-screen. That’s what makes her future on screen such an exciting prospect.

Here’s more with Biel as she talks about her journey chasing down the men of Joe Carnahan's epic take on “The A-Team” and the challenges brought by living on the A-list.

JORGE CARREON: How did a nice girl you end up in this most Alpha Male of projects!

JESSICA BIEL: Joe Carnahan! We were going to do another movie together, which didn’t end up happening, but he just called me and said, “I’m doing this movie. I have this idea for this really great female character, who is strong and empowered and pretty much just an incredibly equal opponent for this group of Alpha males. Come in and check it out and let’s talk about it.” It wasn’t necessarily on the page at the moment, but I had faith in him. He said, “Come do this with us and we will create something really wonderful together.”

CARREON: Audiences are going to be viewing the results really soon. It must have been tricky to strike a balance between Charissa Sosa’s femininity and the physicality required for her relentless pursuit of the team to be credible.

BIEL: You’re right. That is the trickiest part of any female character within this type of world. It’s very easy to go just super tough chick or chick that you don’t believe. What we wanted to do was keep her feminine with her wardrobe. At the same time she has such incredible training. She probably went to Annapolis. She’s been in the military her whole life and she’s slowly rising up the ranks, so she’s probably one of the smartest people. She doesn’t have to wear a horrible bun or have absolutely no makeup whatsoever because she’s still a woman. It’s nice to have that juxtaposition of both qualities, plus adding a really tough attitude and a great sense of humor. Hopefully we created that.

CARREON: Exactly how relentless is Sosa in her pursuit of the team?

BIEL: She’s very relentless. She takes incredible pride in what she does and unfortunately, she knows these guys. She doesn’t want to have to be chasing them, but it’s her job and she had to do it otherwise she’s going to be in breach of the vows that she took and this means so much to her, so she is completely relentless. She is not worried about the fact that she might have to put in prison the people that she knows, but I think that’s a wonderful quality about her. “It’s just business,” I think is how she feels about it. Sorry, guys. I told you not to do this. You did it anyway. You’re going to have to pay the consequences.

CARREON: I think a few men reading are going to think, “What?”

BIEL: It is unfair, right? A guy can say, “It’s just business and it’s cool.” But if a woman says it, it’s not cool! (LAUGHS).

CARREON: What does Sosa’s relationship with Face (played by Bradley Cooper) add to the drama? I guess if you have to chase someone, one not this man, right?

BIEL: Definitely! Their two characters had a previous relationship, so the tension between our two characters is filled with so much history and pain, really. These two characters actually cared about each other and through whatever happened before this movie, they’re sensitive about each other and they react to each other. It’s like that one person that always can push your buttons because you kind of still have that soft spot in your heart for them? These two people are dealing with that while going through this crazy sequence and this crazy world where my character’s trying to put my ex-boyfriend in jail. It’s kind of a big deal.

CARREON: What are the differences and similarities between the film and the TV show?

BIEL: I don’t know because I never saw the show! Truly! I’ve never seen one episode and I just didn’t want to see it until we had finished and it’s in the theaters. Then I think I will go back and look at some of the old shows. I just didn’t want to try to do anything one way or the other. I just wanted a clean slate and nothing bogging down my mind of “Oh, who’s this character and what is she doing and are these guys doing it right?” I just didn’t want to deal with any of it. So I don’t really know, but what I’ve heard is that, and I don’t want the fans of the original show to take this the wrong way, but I heard that it could have been slightly cheesy occasionally. This doesn’t have that quality at all. We have smart humor, clever dialogue and ridiculously funny things happening. But, it also has a lot of heart and a lot of intense emotional things happening especially between the guys as they get pulled in different directions and have to figure out what’s happening to them. What I hear of what it used to be and what I know what our movie is now I think that we did do a good job paying homage to it, but also opening it up to a new generation of viewers.

CARREON: A lot of fan boys – and girls -- are either excited or up in arms about this new incarnation of “The A-Team,” which holds quite a place in popular culture for a certain generation. You were there with them. What was it like seeing your co-stars as this famed quartet?

BIEL: It was wonderful to see these guys just embody these people and work together as a team and really have a feeling like they’re all brothers. That’s the way I saw them. Obviously different ages and coming from different places, but they just had this bond and they had so much fun. It was just good to be around that and be a part of it because it was such a joyful energy on set. Everyone was really just having such a blast!

CARREON: Was it strictly a boys’ club or was there room for the female of the species, too?

BIEL: There weren’t many women in the film, but we had lots of women working behind the scenes. But in terms of the overall camaraderie, that credit goes to (director) Joe (Carnahan). He creates such a family. Not only does he make you feel like you’re part of a family in a movie, but he hires his family. He had his sisters, his mom, his dad, his cousin and the uncle over here and everyone’s together. He just brings you in and you just feel included. He’s fun, he’s easygoing and he really just helps you to have this vibe of, “Yeah, we’re working. Yeah, it’s important, but we’re so lucky to be doing this for our job and we’re having the best time.” The Carnahans are amazing and so fun. You want to be a part of that family.

CARREON: Your co-stars cannot say enough about how much they enjoyed the experience of making “The A-Team.” Sosa was a new entity brought into the “A-Team” mythology. Care to share your perspective in bringing your role to life?

BIEL: It was very loud! (LAUGHS) I think the key is to just really be, for me I just concentrate on my work. I don’t know what the stunt’s going to look like. I don’t know what the explosion is going to look like and it’s not my job to care. It’s really my job to create this particular person who has motivations, who is a full 360-degree human being and working from a place of reality, a place of truth. Maintaining your sanity through something that you have to give a lot of things away. Like okay, demolition man, blow it up. You, editor, do that. All I can do is what I’m doing and if I can be true to that then I’ve done my job. That’s how I kept my sanity.

CARREON: You’ve played women of action before, but watching the early footage from “The A-Team” has created the expectation that this film goes buck wild in terms of stunts and set pieces. Was it dangerous for you at any time?

BIEL: I think everyone was going through their bumps and bruises. I actually didn’t get very physical in this movie. It was really the boys. It’s their movie for that kind of stuff. I’m doing a lot of chasing, running, driving after them, firing my gun, that kind of a thing. But, not real extensive physical work like I have done before.

CARREON: You’ve done well in adding period roles to balance out the genre projects. Do you embrace such physical challenges in your real life? Do you also have that struggle to balance that toughness with vulnerability?

BIEL: I think every person wants to have those qualities, to show more of a vulnerable, sensitive side, but don’t mistake my kindness for weakness kind of a thing. If I have a gun in my hand I will use it if I need to. I think that’s a sexy quality to have both of those elements of yourself. I am definitely an adrenaline junkie. I want to get dirty and muddy camping. I want to go climb a mountain. I want to go snowboarding. I want to jump out of a plane. I want to do all of that stuff. Firing a gun and doing a great fight scene, hand to hand combat, that’s a dream for me. I love it. I don’t get to do it in my real life. I actually get to pretend that I’m one of these women who could actually take a guy down. It’s really fun. It’s really empowering. There are not a lot of jobs that you get to do that.

CARREON: “The A-Team” promises maximum and extreme thrills on screen. What do you want audiences to know about the film as it makes its away around the world?

BIEL: The action sequences are epic. I say, expect the unexpected. These guys do stuff that you think is impossible, so that’s what the action sequences are. Stuff that absolutely looks impossible and that’s the joy of it. This team is known for doing something that’s ridiculous, so I think it’ll be surprising. I think it’ll be fun. You’re just going to have a good ride. It’s going to take you along on an adventure and you’ll be sad when it’s over!

CARREON: Have you reached a point in your artistic life that you want to be more deliberate in the choices you make for your career?

BIEL: I want to do everything. I do “Easy Virtue” so then I can do “A-Team.” So, something after “A-Team” will be more like “Easy Virtue” most likely. Or something like “Powder Blue,” that maybe doesn’t go to DVD. I just like to change. Something big, something small, small, big, big, small. However the cycle goes, just different stuff.

CARREON: With such attention placed on your private life, how do you present yourself to the media as your profile as an actor grows?

BIEL: That’s a good question. My God that’s such an interesting question. I’ve never been asked that in such a particular way. I think I want to come across as professional and fun and someone who cares about my work, because I do. I’m not putting on a fake thing. But yeah, that’s what I’d like people to know that about me most of all.

CARREON: Still, it can’t be easy living in a fish bowl, right?

BIEL: Well, you can’t help but care because it feels very personal when people are talking about you and your movies and your life. But I don’t really care most of the days what people say about me. I’m not going to let that in my life. I’m just going to go on with my day. You really have to have this kind of mindset; otherwise you can get swept up in it as well. You can’t keep thinking, “That’s not true!” or “That really hurts my feelings. Why would they say that about me?” You just can’t care because you can’t please everybody.

CARREON: Being a celebrity seems to have a lot more pitfalls for this generation. Is there a certain perception you do want people to have in terms of all aspects of you? Are there misconceptions you want to clear up?

BIEL: It’s kind of a blessing and a curse because you want to come off as someone who’s very classy and someone you could have your kid look up to. You could be a role model maybe, but it also there’s a large pressure. You think, “Well, I’m just a human being. I make loads of mistakes everyday. Please don’t let your kid look up to me. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.” I think of someone like Reese Witherspoon. She’s clearly a strong person. She’s ambitious and goal-minded and just moving along with her life and able to have that relaxed quality about everything. I think that’s what I’m trying to emulate. I know it’s hard and I don’t think it’s fair, but just try to be classy is kind of my motto. Just let Grandma and Dad be proud of what they see. Not what people say, but what they actually see you doing. I have grandparents and a brother and cousins who are like, ”What? Are you okay?” “I’m fine, I don’t know what you guys are even talking about” is usually the response that I have because I just don’t pay attention to it.
I try to keep my personal life personal because it’s the only thing that I have. My family, my friends, that’s the only private thing that I have so I don’t really care about the misconceptions. I don’t have anything to say about that. You can believe whatever you want to believe and I’m fine with that.

CARREON: You’ve done a lot in such a short period of time. Are you happy with your current narrative at this chapter in your life?

BIEL: Yeah. But, think I have a lot to learn. I’ve got so much to learn about just life and everything that comes with getting older and experiencing more responsibility. It’s wonderful, but I actually feel pretty solid about myself as a human being and as a woman. That’s not to say that I’m not changing everyday and what I say right now will probably be different tomorrow. (LAUGHS).

"The A-Team" Personalities Interviews continue this week with profiles on Sharlto Copley and Liam Neeson. Only in Examiner!

THE A-TEAM (20th Century Fox)

Directed by: Joe Carnahan

Written by: Joe Carnahan & Brian Bloom and Skip Woods

Cast: Liam Neeson (Hannibal), Bradley Cooper (Face), Jessica Biel (Charissa Sosa), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (B.A. Baracus), Sharlto Copley (Murdock), Patrick Wilson (Lynch), Gerald McRaney (General Morrison), Henry Czerny (Director McCready), Yul Vasquez (General Javier Tuco), Brian Bloom (Pike), Maury Sterling (Gammons) and Omari Hardwick (Chopshop Jay).

Rating: PG-13

"The A-Team" opens citywide on Friday, June 11.

L.A. moviegoers can click on Fandango, MovieTickets and NCM for ticket and theater information, as well information on IMAX presentations.

Keep reading the Personalities page on Examiner.com for more the latest movie reviews, box office updates, celebrity and industry news.
 

Watch what Jessica Biel has to say from the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of "The A-Team."