Jessica Biel adds beauty to the brawn in this year's extremely non-stop action flick A-Team along with Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Sharlto Copley.
Chasing down four of the biggest bad-asses ex-soldiers known as "The A-Team," Biel ups the ante as she plays Lt. Sosa in the movie. As a self-professed "adrenaline junkie," Biel's portrayal of Sosa offers more than a fair match of wits and muscles trying to pin down the A-Team led by Col. Hannibal Smith (Neeson), former lover Lt. Face Peck (Cooper), B.A. Baracus (Quinton) and Capt. Murdock (Sharlto Copley) after a series of missions gone askew in the recent Iraq war.
Biel in the following Q&A with Jorge Carreon of L.A. Personal Examiner shares what it's like to be the only female in the male-dominated A-Team movie directed by Joe Carnahan.
Q: How did a nice girl you end up in this most Alpha Male of projects!
A: 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."
Q: Exactly how relentless is Sosa in her pursuit of the team?
A: 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."
Q: What does Sosa's relationship with Face (played by Bradley Cooper) add to the drama?
A: Their two characters have had a previous relationship so the tension between them is filled with so much history and pain, really. These two actually cared about each other and through whatever happened before this movie, they're sensitive about and react to each other."
Q: Was it strictly a boys' club or was there room for the female of the species, too?
A: There weren't many women in the film, but we had lots of women working behind the scenes. But in terms of 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 it, but he actually hires members of his own family. The Carnahans are amazing and so much fun. You want to be a part of that family.
Q: With such attention placed on your private life, how do you present yourself to the media as your profile as an actor grows?
A: 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.
Q: 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?
A: 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)
From her early career in modeling and television adverts, Biel launched her acting career in 1996 when she became part of the long-running drama 7th Heaven. Redefining her image after years in "7th Heaven," 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.
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" 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.
A-Team opens June 10 (Thursday) in more than 150 screens nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.