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BY GINGER STREJCEK
Not that Jessica’s scant role as Daisy Duke was the only draw; there were, of course, car chases and those other Dukes. But her steamy video for “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,” the Nancy Sinatra song she re-recorded for the movie, certainly fueled the film hype – if not exactly reeling in the acting credits. Aw, shucks. It’s not like she was trying to earn an Oscar or something. “Daisy Duke is a lot of who I am,” Simpson told Elle in a recent interview. “I don’t want people walking out of a movie thinking I was trying to act or be some movie star. I want them to think, That might make me like Jessica a little bit more.” While the role of Daisy might have come naturally to the Texas native, Simpson is no bumpkin. And despite her celebrity status as a ditzy blonde, thanks to MTV’s reality show “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” there’s more than meets the eye. Under the maverick management of her father Joe Simpson – an ordained Baptist minister who has swapped evangelism for an earring – Jessica, as well as her sister Ashlee, were destined for superstar success. Both found fame with their lovely looks and catchy hooks. A teenage gospel singing sensation, Jessica orbited from the earthly confines of Dallas to the heavenly realm of Hollywood in the blink of an eye. From music to TV to movies, she can wow a crowd. Cashing in on her name – Jessica is smart enough to know that there’s more money in endorsements than CD sales and touring – she launched a “lickable” line of bath and beauty products in 2004 called Dessert (Cotton Candy Lip Candy and Banana Split Body Frosting are a couple of Jessica’s, and Nick’s, favorites). This fall, she’s unveiling her own clothing line. The fab fashions are actually the work of a top designer for Tarrant Apparel Group, but they are inspired by Simpson’s personal style and do have her final approval. Tarrant plans to release two lines of Simpson gear: JS by Jessica Simpson with $49 jeans and a variety of tops, exclusively for the Fashion Bug chain; and the somewhat pricier Princy line, using Simpson’s nickname, which are aimed at specialty and department stores. “I grew up loving clothes,” Simpson told The Wall Street Journal. “I’m totally involved with everything that has my name on it.” That might even include a barbeque joint in Los Angeles in the near future, where she can introduce her recipe for chili and cornbread casserole. Move over, Britney. Step aside, J.Lo. This 25-year-old is on a roll and shows no signs of stopping. Jessica is so hot, she graced the covers of Cosmo, Glamour, GQ and Elle this summer – just to name a few. She hasn’t forsaken her music along the way. Quite the opposite. She’s embraced it with heart and soul. Her fifth album, “And the Band Played On,” due out in November, will mark her first time as executive producer. It will also mark the first time that she’s strayed from the proven path of pop success.
LEFT: Jessica with her husband Nick Lachey. “I always felt I had to show off. I had to sing in the rafters, to try to be Mariah, try to be Christina,” she said. On this album, she sings from the soul. “So many people feel they have to lie and cover up in order to be that perfect person, to be loved – especially when you’re a star,” she said. “You want people to think that everything is perfect, but success comes from you being real.” Jessica dropped out of school her senior year (she did earn her GED later) to tour and promote her demo album, funded by her grandmother Joyce. She performed on the Christian Youth Conference circuit, selling her record after the show. Recognizing Jessica’s potential, he signed her in the late ’90s. Jessica’s majorlabel debut, “Sweet Kisses,” sold more than two million copies and spawned the smash singles, “I Wanna Love You Forever,” “I Think I’m In Love With You,” and “Where You Are.” She dazzled the world in concert with her soaring vocals and sizzling stage presence.
This teeny-popper had a music career. Along the way, Jessica hooked up with fellow musician and heartthrob Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees. The two started dating when she was 18 and married when she was 22. One thing led to another, including MTV’s “Newlyweds,” giving viewers an upclose and personal glimpse into the everyday affairs of Nick and Jessica – and turning her into a certifiable star. Throughout the show’s three-season run, Jessica often appeared as the stereotypical dumb blonde, most notably when she asked whether the Chicken of the Sea tuna she was eating was chicken or fish. Her apparent stupidity was a huge hit; each episode averaged 1.4 million viewers. Earlier this year, the series won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show. Banking on their TV success, the celebrity couple also appeared on two variety shows for ABC in 2004. Another special is in the works. Jessica ventured into the real world of acting by way of some small sitcom roles. Seems she got bitten by the acting bug – and isn’t half bad. For her role in “Dukes,” she beat out 30 other Daisy-wannabes, including Britney Spears (who had knocked her out of a spot on “The New Mickey Mouse Club” in the early ’90s). Jessica spent three months in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, filming the movie. Critical to the role: finding the perfect pair of jeans, of course. “I tried on a hundred pairs of jeans to find out what looks good on my ass,” said Jessica, who strutted her stuff in a pair of Lucky cut-offs. “Daisy Duke was known for her ass, so I had to do her justice.” It wasn’t all fun and games. She worked out six days a week and went on a strict protein-vegetable-Splenda diet to get her body in tip-top shape. “Trust me, when someone tells you you have to be in a red bikini on a big screen, every single girl in my place would go to the gym,” she said. And she did have to learn a line or two.
Jessica pulled off the part perfectly. In fact, she’s already working with “Dukes” producer Bill Gerber on a second flick. She’ll have the lead in “Major Movie Star,” with filming set to start this fall. Still playing the dimwitted blonde, Jessica portrays an actress who hits rockbottom and enlists in the military, a.k.a. “Private Benjamin.” “To go inside someone else’s being and escape for a while is so relaxing,” she said of acting. “You can rest in the character you’re playing. It’s like taking a break off of being the focus.” Off the screen, it seems, Jessica will always be the focus. This leading lady has put up with her fair share of the paparazzi. At least 10 cars stake out her and Nick’s house on any given day. “Our relationship has always been public,” she said, “And I’ve either been hated or loved for it.” These days, the tabloids are inking out stories about the end of her marriage, feeding on a frenzy of rumors about romances with Johnny Knoxville or Fred Durst. She maintains that her marriage is better than ever, sporting her eye-popping engagement ring as well as three wedding bands, one of which belonged to her grandmother. “At the end of the day, [the gossip] doesn’t really matter, but it still does affect you. It can’t not,” she told Seventeen. “So my biggest worry is not failure – because I’ve already succeeded – but that something will weigh me down and make me weak where I can’t stand my ground and be that role model I want to be. I have faith that I have a good character and the stamina in me. But it’s hard.” From the Fall 2005 issue. |
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Take her big screen debut in the critically-doomed “The Dukes of Hazzard” this August. The film adaptation of the ’80s TV show racked up a surprisingly impressive $30 million its opening weekend. Short shorts and cropped tops were apparently all it took to send many a good ol’ boy racing to the theater.
Happily reacquainted with her journal, listening to the likes of Patsy Cline and Billie Holiday, Jessica has mixed up genres for a new Southern spin that’s got some club music, R&B and country tossed in, including a duet with her “Dukes” buddy Willie Nelson. 
The title track to “Irresistible,” her 2001 follow-up, was a crossover smash, charting on the Hot 100, the Rythmic Top 40, Top 40 Mainstream and Top 40 Tracks. And then came her triple platinum “In This Skin” in 2003, with her biggest single to date, “With You.” 