Jessica Alba had a 'life crisis' after posing for Maxim at age 19

Jessica Alba wasn't always the confident co-founder of a billion-dollar company.

When Alba first gained success in 2000 as the star of the FOX TV show "Dark Angel," she found herself uncomfortable with her newfound status as a sex symbol.

"My sexuality made me very uncomfortable," Alba, now 35, recalled to InStyle magazine. "I remember my first Maxim shoot, they were telling me to pose a certain way, and I was like, 'Agh! I'm 19. I'm a virgin. I don't even know how to do that.' It was so awkward."

In her real life, Alba says she dressed "the opposite of sexy," often opting for "baggy cargo pants."

"The first time I wore a dress and heels, I had to go to the Golden Globes-I was nominated for 'Dark Angel,'" Alba told InStyle. "I was so worried about not looking like a lady."

By age 25, after becoming a household name thanks to roles in "Dark Angel," "Honey," and "Sin City," Alba says she "went through a life crisis."

"I was like, 'This isn't what I set out to be. I'm so much more than this, but I don't know how not to be a sex symbol.'"

It wasn't until Alba had her first daughter at age 27 that she truly felt comfortable in her own skin.

"It was not planned, but I was like, 'OK, this is where my life is going. I always wanted to be a mom.'"

Today, Alba, who has two daughters, embraces her body.

"I was a lot more critical of my body when it was probably pretty awesome. It's like, why did I not ever wear jean shorts? That's so crazy. I was so skinny! I didn't have any cellulite…what was I thinking?!" she told Health magazine in 2013. "I was more willing to wear short skirts after I had my kids. I never wore them before. Ever."