Jessica Biel is getting real about what it’s like to live under the spotlight, and honestly, it sounds exhausting.
The Better Sister star recently opened up about how she’s had to “put on a happy face” over the years just to survive the pressure of fame. At 43, Biel has been in the game for decades, having shot to stardom as Mary Camden on 7th Heaven when she was just 14. And now, she’s reflecting on the toll that kind of early fame can take.
Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, Jessica said, “I can understand sometimes feeling like you have to put on a happy face, or, you know, smile and kind of grin and bear it.” It’s a brutally honest admission from someone who’s always looked perfectly put together on red carpets and magazine covers. But behind that smile? She’s just another person trying to protect pieces of her personal life. “I’ve definitely done that in my past before… I understand wanting to hide some of my personal life or, you know, just keep something sacred,” she added.
Biel’s latest role in The Better Sister hits a little too close to home. The character she plays is caught in a public scandal while trying to cling to her privacy, something Jessica admits she relates to. “I think my character does that in a very dysfunctional way, and I think I do it a little bit more functionally, I hope,” she joked. But there’s truth buried in the humor. Being in the public eye while dealing with personal stuff isn’t easy, even for someone with years of experience.
Acting, though, has always been a kind of therapy for Biel. She describes it as cathartic, even when the role is painful. “You’re finding something that is in your life that is parallel to something that you understand or a touchpoint that you can connect to that your character is going through. Sometimes it’s abstract, sometimes it’s very linear,” she explained. Each character she plays seems to pull a little piece of her own story into the spotlight, even if it’s not intentional.
Jessica also took a trip down memory lane recently when she joined the Catching Up With the Camdens podcast, hosted by her former 7th Heaven co-stars Beverley Mitchell, David Gallagher, and Mackenzie Rosman. She recalled her very first audition for the show, and it was awkward in the most relatable way. The character Mary Camden was a basketball player, so naturally, Jessica tried to show off some athletic vibes, without an actual basketball. “So I did that in the audition without a basketball. What a choice. Like, who encouraged me to do that?” she laughed. “I kind of still feel embarrassed about that, but I don’t know. Maybe it was effective.”
Turns out, it definitely was. Biel went on to play Mary Camden from 1996 to 2007, becoming a household name and one of the most memorable parts of the long-running series. Back then, she saw a bit of herself in the role. “And I remember thinking, ‘cool character,’ because she’s a basketball player, and I was an athlete. I was like, ‘Oh, I connect to this,’” she said. That connection is still there, just evolved, more layered, more adult, and yes, sometimes hidden behind a smile.
Jessica Biel putting on a happy face isn’t about being fake. It’s about surviving, thriving, and holding something back for herself in a world that wants every detail. And while she might joke about handling it “more functionally” than her character, there’s no doubt she’s doing what she needs to stay grounded, even if that means smiling when she doesn’t feel like it.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
