'Exposed to sexism': Jessica Alba used to dream of being treated the way men were on movie sets

Jessica Alba insists she was exposed to sexism while starting her career in the entertainment industry.

The LA's Finest star has said people in Hollywood didn't take her seriously when she was first trying to kickstart her career, and she would often dream of being "treated the way [she] saw men being treated" on movie sets.

She said: "I always wanted to be treated the way that I saw men being treated. Men were told, 'Oh, you're really smart' if you have ideas about the character or the story, where for the women it was like, 'What? You have an opinion?' It was like you came off as aggressive, where a man just looked really assertive and powerful.

"I think attitudes about strong women were quite oppressive in a lot of ways when it came to women having an equal standing."

Eventually, Jessica not only racked up an extensive on-camera resume, but also started her own business in 2012 in the form of The Honest Company.

And asked when she felt most empowered in her career, the 40-year-old star admitted she had to "allow" herself to feel that way.

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She added: "For a long time, I felt like I didn't deserve it. Trying to reach a goal is one thing, but giving myself the space to be successful and acknowledge that, or even giving myself the space to feel intelligent, was hard."

Jessica's company went public in May, and as her brand continues to grow, the Sin City actress hopes she will continue to be seen as "fearless and hardworking".

She told People magazine: "I hope people know that my heart's in the right place. I feel so fortunate that I've had these incredible people come into my life and stick around even though I can be kind of annoying and relentless. But, I don't know, we get to create pretty cool memories together."