by Alyse Wax

Boy, that Jessica Alba is a trooper. Between shooting and pregnancy, the stunning actress and sex symbol still squeezes in time to promote her new horror movie, a remake of the Chinese ghost movie Gin Gwai, a.k.a. The Eye. In the film, Alba plays a blind musician who regains her sight but loses her sanity when a corneal implant causes her to see Death. Haunted by terrifying nightmares, she's driven to discover the tragedy that befell her donor--a tragedy that haunts her even in death. We'll have a bunch of clips from the film up on the site soon--including an Alba shower scene (calm down, boys), so keep checking back for those. And in the mean time, here's Alba speaking to us about why she found herself frightened by the implications of her role. But we warn you: the following interview contains spoilers--read on at your own risk!

[Note: After reading this interview, be sure to check out our exclusive video interview with Jessica Alba, in which she discusses the film, our on-set interview with David Moreau and Xavier Palud, The Eye's directors, a slew of steamy Alba clips, including this one of her in the shower, and the official trailer for The Eye!]

Is this the most challenging role you?ve ever had?

It kind of was. Dark Angel was quite challenging because I really had to carry that show. But it has been intense, having to play the violin and having to play someone who is blind and becomes sighted... starts to lose her mind a little bit, starts to see things that aren?t there. Yeah, it was quite challenging. That's definitely why I wanted to do it. I like horror movies, and I have wanted to do one for a while. I've read many over the years and, to me, with the psychological thriller aspect, this one felt like it was intelligent and complex.

What was harder, playing blind, or playing the adjustment to sight?

The adjustment to sight, for sure. I am so used to seeing. In this room, instead of looking at anyone?s face I would probably focus on the table because that is what stands out, the white of the table. And then maybe the color of your shirt. You kind of pick up on things differently.

What did you learn from the blind lady you spoke with?

I learned from her that just because you are blind and have this handicap, it really doesn?t need to impede on anything in your life, except, really, for driving. That?s the only thing she doesn?t do, drive. She travels by herself, she takes subways and taxis, goes to Europe. She was walking on the wrong side of the road in England. I know people who are sighted who still can?t really figure that out. I just thought it was incredible that she gets around and, to be honest, most cities aren?t really equipped with Braille, so she has to rely on other people to tell her if it is the women?s room or men?s room, or what?s on the menu. When she goes shopping, she has to trust the sales clerk is telling her the right colors so that she can label everything properly.

Your character was blind, but she seemed okay with it, she coped with it, and she only got the surgery because her sister really pushed it. So was it hard for you to wrap you mind around her being okay with being blind?

No, that?s what I wanted. Not for it to be something she had to cope with, but something that was part of who she was. And she was fine with it, totally functioning in the world and independent, self-sufficient. She had a regular job, it?s not like she had a job for someone with special needs. It?s kind of society that tells you you need to be like everyone else - that?s kind of why she does it. When she got her sight, that is when she became more handicapped than ever. She sort of fell apart, and I liked that role-reversal, that mentality.

What was the most physically demanding scene?

There was a lot of running. And at the end [the climax] running was quite tough. It was below freezing - I think it was like negative two degrees. It was so cold and I just had that little jacket on. So that was tough. And we were shooting nights for two weeks.

I guess also in the burned-out Chinese restaurant, cause it was such a transition, going from everything being there, to suddenly it wasn?t. It was four pages of dialogue with me going on and on about everything that has happened.

Did you reference the original actress?s role at all for your part?

No, I definitely did my own interpretation. I appreciated her take on it, how stoic she was, how quiet her performance was. But she comes from the Eastern way of looking at ghosts, where it is kind of a part of the culture, and it is a little more accepted. In Western culture it is crazy and ludicrous and kind of like you are losing your mind. So we sort of approached it with more of a Western mentality, where everyone thinks she is going crazy and she even starts to question her own sanity.

Have you ever seen a ghost? What do you think about ghosts?

I haven?t seen a ghost, but I?m not close-minded about it. I think there are too many things that have happened to people close to me - things people see and hear - I don?t know if you can really say they don?t exist.

Do you have any big plans for Valentine?s Day?

I haven?t even thought about Valentine?s Day! I?m still getting over Christmas!

Is it usually a big deal for you?

I don?t know... I?m sure certain years it was important. Every day is Valentine?s Day when you are in love with someone.

What other projects are you working on?

I just did a comedy with Mike Myers called The Love Guru. I think it is his first original character since Austin Powers. That should be coming out beginning of summer.

Do you have a wild character in that?

No, he?s wild. I play the straight man. But I get to do some fun stuff. He?s definitely the crazy one.

Was The Love Guru a relief to do after this?

That was a completely different movie. I finished The Eye, then I went on a press tour for Fantastic Four, then I had about a month break, then started The Love Guru. It was night and day. It really couldn?t have been more different. Hanging out with Mike, watching how his brain works... he?s a genius. He is really, really talented.

[Getting back to The Eye], How did it work out on set when you are going through things that only you can see [and thereby filming versions of some scenes where you are acting with another person who isn?t there]?

Well, a bit of that was there, and there were some instances where I did see the shadow guy, and I did see the ghosts and they kind of showed me what the ghosts would be doing, and then took them out.

So the effects were already done?

Not the effects, but like where a girl is coming at me, she would do her bit and I would do my bit so I could see how it was going to go. Or the guy in the elevator, he stood behind me and showed me exactly where he was going to be.

That ?report card? kid was creepy.

Oh, I know! He said the same thing over and over and over again. What a nightmare!

At the end, when you are cradling the woman in your arms, but she is not really there, how hard was that to do?

That was tough. I did the scene with her in my arms. I think they weren?t sure how much of me and her they wanted to show together, or me by myself, so I did the scene with her in my arms, and then I did it without her. That was tough. And also, it was pretty horrific to see someone hanging... that was pretty hard.

What is the scariest horror film you have ever seen?

It?s different because of my memory of horror films. I saw Nightmare on Elm Street when I was 5. I snuck behind my parents? couch and watched the entire thing. I didn?t sleep in the middle of my bed until I was about 13, because I thought I was going to be sucked in. I like anything that is about demons or ghosts, or something that is torturing your soul, but no one else can see it. Poltergeist, Psycho, The Birds, It. I?m less of a fan of the super-gory movies.

Could you see at all through those cloudy contacts?

No. I couldn?t see at all. They didn?t want me walking around [while wearing them] so I had to be taken around in a wheelchair everywhere [on set].

So there was no in-and-out with those contacts?

No, because it hurts your eyes if you continue to take them in and out. You have to let them sit for a while.

What was the experience like of not being able to see the entire day?

Kind of claustrophobic. It wasn?t every day, but sometimes it was long periods of time without being able to see. I was always relieved to get my sight back. Even having the bloodshot contacts in really impairs your vision. Pretty trippy.

Do you have a dream role?

It changes depending on my age. When I was younger I was always fascinated by Mata Hari. She was a spy and a belly dancer, she got assassinated, she was of mixed race. I thought she was pretty cool. But now... I don?t know where I want to go. To be honest I think right now I am really interested in smaller, indie movies.

Did you hang out with Alessandro [Nivola, your co-star] a lot off-set?

Yeah. We had dinner at the director?s house quite a bit. Because when you are in Albuquerque, there is really only one restaurant that is pretty good. You can only take Applebee?s and Chili?s so much. Our big day was hanging out at Wal-Mart for five hours.

How was it working with two directors?

It was good. One of them was definitely more technical, and the other worked more with the actors. It was kind of like Robert [Rodriguez] and Frank [Miller on Sin City], where Robert took the more technical side, and Frank spent more time with the actors.

Do you think you might be more reluctant to do physically challenging action roles once you are a mother?

No. I still have to find a really good action movie for me to do. Obviously, with Dark Angel I have had a lot of practice.

What if your child grows up and wants to be an actor? Do you say OK or try to dissuade them?

I want my kid to be a nerd. I want him to be really really smart, and be in the orchestra. No, that?s just a joke I have with my fiance. Our kid can?t be cool, he has to be a nerd. There is much more of a dynamic in that.

If he wants to be an actor... I want to support him in whatever he wants to do, but it?s nothing I would be pushing my kid to do. I think it is important for kids to find their own way and see what moves them.

Is there anything you are dreading about motherhood? I?m sure you?ve heard lots of horror stories.

None of them really end in ?I would never do that again,? they all end with ?It?s the best thing that ever happened to me.? So no matter what, it?s always like the greatest gift someone has had in their life. Anything can happen, I just try to keep a really positive outlook, and hopefully my baby can feel that positive energy in my body.

What?s your biggest fear?

Probably losing touch with reality. Losing my sanity.

So this movie must have been especially scary?

Yeah, I think when you disconnect it?s kind of like, ?Whoa.?