Jessica Alba says she put up an 'armor of masculine energy' to avoid Hollywood predators: 'I was a warrior'

• Jessica Alba opened up about being seen as a sex symbol in the early 2000s.
• She said she evoked "masculine energy" when she was younger to ward off Hollywood predators.

Jessica Alba has starred in a number of hits over the years, earning roles in "Honey," "Never Been Kissed," and "Sin City." She's also known for playing Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in 20th Century Fox's "Fantastic Four" movies in 2005 and 2007. But she really rose to prominence when she was 19 in the 2000 series "Dark Angel," which was created by "Titanic" director James Cameron.

Alba played a young woman called Max who goes on the run after being experimented on and genetically enhanced to become a super-soldier.

Appearing on CNN and HBO Max's "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" Alba was asked about being "objectified" as a sex symbol in the early 2000s, to which she explained that she "understood" that she was helping to "sell" the product by being in the public eye.

"I guess I understood that I needed to help sell the product. And they sell it how they do, so I understood it as a business decision and a strategy," Alba said. "And so I was able to distance myself from it. But I guess, you know, you can't change other people's minds about what they may or may not think of you."

The actor added: "I don't think that there's anything wrong with owning your sexuality. I just frankly was definitely not that person. I was very nervous about all of that, and I was quite uncomfortable in my own skin."

However, Alba went on to say that she made a conscious effort to give off "masculine energy" so she wouldn't be "preyed on" by Hollywood predators.

"It wasn't until I became a mom that I really started to even see myself as a woman or a sexual being or someone who owned her power and her femininity," the actor explained. "At that time, I felt like I was very much having to put up this armor of masculinity and masculine energy so I wouldn't, you know, be preyed on because there were a lot of predators in Hollywood from age 12 to 26."

Alba recalled that she would swear a lot and try to make herself unavailable to anyone with nefarious intentions.

"I was a warrior. I put up that energy. I was really tough, man. I curse like a sailor and I think I tried to make myself as unavailable as possible so that I wouldn't be taken advantage of," said the star.

Alba's "Dark Angel" costar Jensen Ackles previously said it was "horrible" working with the actor, and that they argued a lot. But he believes that was down to the "immense pressure" she was under on the series, noting that the two are on good terms now.