Minka Kelly Sexiest Woman Alive interview

Minka Kelly Sexiest Woman Alive interview

Esquire magazine has bestowed its annual 'Sexiest Woman Alive' title on Minka Kelly, and the issue featuring the 'Friday Night Lights' actress will hit newsstands next week.

The 30-year-old actress, who formerly appeared on 'Friday Night Lights' for four seasons, playing cheerleader Lyla Garrity, is the girlfriend and possible fiancee of New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter.

She is the daughter of former Aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufay and late Vegas showgirl Maureen Kelly.

Esquire bestows its crown on Minka
This year, Esquire magazine named Minka, a former scrub nurse, as the 'Sexiest Woman Alive.'

The actress graces the cover of Esquire magazine's November 2010 issue, wearing a gray crop top and low-rise jeans that show off her toned abs.

Minka said her best days stemmed from childhood, when her dancer mom, Maureen Kelly, kept strange hours with an unusual job.

Besides a photo spread, the magazine has published an interview of the actress in which she shares her fun childhood with her mother, who was a dancer for most of her life, and her struggle for the success.

"Done with the twenties," the brunette beauty tells the magazine, according to People.com. "I'm confident - confident in my skin, and I'm cool with my flaws and all that stuff. It just feels nice to be at peace with yourself. I think my thirtieth birthday gave me permission to have all that."

Minka’s stripper mom was the best
Minka said her best days stemmed from childhood, when her dancer mom, Maureen Kelly, kept strange hours with an unusual job.

"My mom lived a fast life. She was a stripper," she tells the magazine. "It was all about what we could do to have fun with nothing. She would come home at like three, four o'clock in the morning, and she would wake me up in the middle of the night and we'd go grocery shopping."

"That was so much fun. We would have a blast and buy a hundred dollars in groceries. It was just the best day ever."

Mom helped her discover her sexy side
Minka also gives all the credit to her mom, who died in 2008, to help her find her sexy side.

"I've never done a sexy photo shoot before," she says. "It was really liberating. It was exciting. I would look at the pictures, like, that's me?"

On her struggle
The 'Friday Night Lights' actress had a cameo appearance as herself on HBO's 'Entourage' in the show's recent season finale, and currently has a recurring role on NBC's 'Parenthood.'

Most recently, she appeared briefly in movie '500 Days of Summer' in 2009. Her upcoming flicks are: 'Searching for Sonny' and the thriller 'Roommate,' opposite 'Gossip Girl' hottie Leighton Meester.

But she remembers that it was just five years ago that she was working as a surgical nurse in Los Angeles, and waiting for her big break.

"Anyone can struggle. Anyone can want to make it and try to make it and scrape the door down and hustle. But once you become a little bit successful, that's more challenging to handle than struggle," she says.

Minka Kelly’s career and affairs
Born Minka Dumont Kelly on June 24, 1980 in Los Angeles, California, Minka is the only daughter of former Aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufay and the late Maureen Kelly, a former Vegas showgirl.

She started her acting career with small roles in projects like the movie 'State's Evidence”' and with a recurring guest role on the show 'What I Like About You.'

Prior to her relationship with Derek, Minka dated Donald Faison in 2005, and had a relationship with actor Chris Evans as well.

She dated musician John Mayer from September 2007 to January 2008.