In her latest movie, Jessica Alba falls into a penguin pond, stabs Dane Cook with a dental tool and accidentally tears off her skirt by closing it in a car door.

Alba plays Cam, a clumsy penguin-keeper who captures Cook's heart in "Good Luck Chuck," in theaters Friday.

The role represents a departure for Alba, who gained fame as an action star — first on TV's "Dark Angel," then in films such as "Fantastic Four" and "Sin City."

The 26-year-old actress, whose current crop of projects includes a horror film and a romantic comedy with Mike Myers, talked with The Associated Press about her dream career, her love of science and what it's like to be one of the world's sexiest women.

___

AP: What drew you to the role in "Good Luck Chuck"?

Alba: I loved that the girl in this film, more than any other film than I had read, certainly in this genre, was doing all the physical comedy. Usually the girl does one trip here or there, right when it's cute, but for the most part it's usually the guy that gets to do all the fun stuff. ... Usually it's not really done. And I liked that she was, you know, the moral center and the good girl.

AP: Were you looking for a comedic project?

Alba: Yeah, I've always been wanting to do comedy. That's one of the main reasons I got into this business in the first place. I've always loved to make people laugh and it was the way that I sort of broke the ice when I was a kid with my friends. I'd always do little skits or do little things, do anything really, to make people laugh. Oddly, in this business, I never really got a shot at it. I'm not good at the half-hour comedy ba-dum-bump stuff. I'm more into the physical comedy.

AP: Did you always want to be an actor?

Alba: I kind of always had it in my mind. I've always loved entertaining. It's kind of in my blood. My grandmother and grandfather were dancing and singing when they met each other. There's a bunch of theater actors and artists, painters, sculptors in my family. So it's all kind of just been what I've always been around. ... I've always really enjoyed it. I've always loved watching movies, the idea of being able to entertain the masses, the power of that. It's just incredible.