Jessica Marie Alba (/ˈælbə/ AL-bə; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress, businesswoman, and entrepreneur. She began her acting career at age 13 in Camp Nowhere (1994), followed up by 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.