Alba expressed curiosity in acting because the age of five. In 1992, the eleven-12 months-outdated Alba persuaded her mom to take her to an performing competition in Beverly Hills, California whose grand prize was free acting classes. Alba gained the grand prize, and took her first appearing lessons. An agent signed Alba nine months later. Her first look on film was a small function within the 1994 characteristic Camp Nowhere as Gail. She was initially hired for 2 weeks but her role was a two-month job in a number one function when one of the outstanding actresses dropped out.
Alba appeared in two nationwide tv commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney as a child. She was later featured in a number of independent films. She branched out into television in 1994 with a recurring role because the useless Jessica in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy collection The Secret World of Alex Mack She then carried out the position of Maya within the first two seasons of the television sequence Flipper. Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba discovered to swim earlier than she may stroll, and he or she was a PADI-certified scuba diver, skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia.]
In 1998, she appeared as Melissa Hauer in a primary-season episode of the Steven Bochco crime-drama Brooklyn South, as Leanne in two episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210, and as Layla in an episode of The Love Boat: The Next Wave. In 1999, she appeared in the Randy Quaid comedy feature P.U.N.K.S.. After Alba graduated from high school, she studied appearing with William H. Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, on the Atlantic Theater Firm, which was developed by Macy and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and film director, David Mamet
