Jessica Marie Alba (/ ˈ æ l b ə / AL-bə; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress and businesswoman. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 as the lead actress of the television series Dark Angel (2000-2002), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.