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Jessica Biel was so worried about being typecast as the squeaky-clean Mary Camen on The WB's family saga 7th Heaven she rebelled, shed some clothing, and posed for Gear magazine. She was 17 at the time. Flirting with the bad girl image didn't help Biel break her series' contract, but it certainly turned up the heat.

Fast forward ahead 10 years, 7th Heaven still runs in syndication, but Biel shares little in common with that wholesome preacher's kid of yesteryear. Ironically, many of her feature film roles have cast the 27-year-old actress in a complete 180 degree about-face, from a 1997 turn as Peter Fonda's gothic granddaughter in Ulee's Gold, to a stripper in Power Blue, that goes straight to DVD in June. Sharing star billing on the latter is Ray Liotta, Patrick Swayze, and Forest Whitaker, who also produced the film. At the same time, Biel goes up against two stalwarts of British cinema – Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas -- in Easy Virtue, a retooling of Noel Coward's 1924 play. The film is more a showcase of witty one line barbs than an absorbing storyline. Biel portrays an American racecar driver named Larita, who impulsively weds a young British gent, John Whittaker (Ben Barnes).

That's not the problem, John's mother, Veronica (Scott-Thomas) is. Keep in mind that Easy Virtue is set in the '20s, a time period when the very word American is synonymous with "vulgar." John's sisters are equally divided in their reception, while John's dad, the Colonel (Firth) is the only family member willing to genuinely embrace his new daughter-in-law.

Working with such a stellar all-British cast, Biel confessed to being "a bit intimidated." "I just wanted to be as good as them. Being like a fish out of water probably helped in this case.

Definitely earmarked for the art house crowd, Easy Virtue isn't the typical movie released in a traditional blockbuster, action packed summer season. But that doesn't diminish Biel's willingness to step out of her "comfort zone."

Easy Virtue appears to be only a prelude to her next project, Nailed. Costarring Jake Gyllenhaal, the political satire cast her as a woman who accidentally gets a nail lodged in her head. The results are more psychological than physical causing her to become sexually insatiable.

Granted, neither one is likely to generate box office receipts like her previous turns in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, but Biel plans to be more selective in the future. "It took a long time for me to earn credibility in the film world," she said matter-of-factly. "These current movies have set such a high bar, that I don't want to do just anything after this. What I'm looking for are interesting women with interesting stories."

An exception is the upcoming animated flick Planet 51 where she voices a character named Neera. The family oriented project finds the residents living in fear of an alien invasion. The alien turns out to be a stranded American astronaut, who is desperately trying to retrieve his space ship and return to Earth.

With her hazel eyes and high cheekbones, Biel is even more attractive in person than on the screen. But it isn't only beauty that has made her the object of the paparazzi's dogged pursuit. Being romantically linked to "Sexy Back" Justin Timberlake translates into fodder for the gossip tabs.

"It's taken me a while to care about what I'm wearing when I leave the apartment in the morning. I can't just throw on a crappy T-shirt and sneakers anymore," Biel complained. Rumors have circulated that the actress plans to record an album with Timberlake, especially after Biel contributed an extremely creditable version of "Mad About the Boy" to the Easy Virtue's soundtrack. The Minnesota-born, Boulder, Colo.- reared actress doesn't see that happening anytime soon. And "no," she didn't ask his help when recording the track. "I was too embarrassed," she quipped.

Instead, she's focusing her immediate sights on Broadway, to the point that Biel has been scouting for an apartment in Tribeca. As a prelude to the Great White Way, the actress is committed to play Sister Sarah Brown, opposite Scott Bakula, in Guys and Dolls this July at the Hollywood Bowl.

Although the mention of Timberlake is obviously off limits, the subject of marriage is met with dismissing laughter. "I'm too ambitious and concentrating on my acting right now," she concluded.

No problem, the swarm of photographers waiting outside the hotel can be relied on to keep tabs on the couple's marital plans.