JESSICA BIEL'S NEW ILLUSION.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Writer

Walking into Jessica Biel's hotel suite, you immediately notice the bits of tire, which lead you around the corner to a floor full of chewy toys, which lead you around the other corner to the owner of all these objects -- Biel's 7-month-old American Staffordshire terrier-lab mix, Tina -- and to Ms. Biel herself, who is trying her best to keep Tina from chewing the edges off the suite's French doors.

``Teeeeee-na! No! Nooooooooo!'' Biel commands in deep voice. And Tina listens -- for the moment.

These are the dog days of summer. Biel, 24, has a new movie to promote -- a period romantic drama called ``The Illusionist,'' opening today -- but, otherwise, she has some time on her hands, having just finished up a couple of movies -- ``Next'' and ``Home of the Brave,'' and no longer being part of the grind of ``7th Heaven,'' which she was on for six years.

So we asked the Boulder, Colo.-raised Biel about summertime, when the livin' is easy -- and if she had her druthers, she'd be at the beach with Tina, swimming, staying cool and sipping a tall mojito upon returning to her Santa Monica home.

Q: ``The Illusionist'' is your first period piece. I get the impression you have a hard time convincing people you can play a woman not rooted in the 21st century.

A: I've heard so many times, ``You're too modern. Your face is too modern.'' So when I auditioned for this movie, I did my hair and makeup and wore a blouse and long skirt with a sash around my waist.

It kind of resembled a corset thing. And it worked.

Q: Your face wouldn't take me out of the movie, but I'm guessing some people might think you're too toned. Neil Burger tells me you he had to ban you from the gym once you landed in Prague.

A: He definitely cut my gym privileges. It was my arms. It has taken me a year or more to shave off the muscle mass I got from doing ``Blade'' and ``Stealth'' back to back. I get in the gym, do a little arm, a little shoulder, even with 5-pound weights, and I'm puffed up again.

Q: Do you miss those arms?

A: I do. What I idolized as a kid was Mia Hamm. That was the person I wanted to be, not a supermodel. I wanted ripped abs, muscular thighs and beautiful arms. So for me to look sort of bodybuilder-esque, I loved it. I got a total kick out of it.

Q: How about some summer questions, since we're in the thick of it. What's your ideal summer day?

A: I have so many summer days that I would like to spend. But I love the water, and I love the beach, so I'd be at the beach playing volleyball, swimming, the dogs. ... That would be a great day. Or having a wine tour in Napa, staying at the Auberge du Soleil with my girlfriends, drinking wine all day in the heat and enjoying a fabulous girl weekend.

Q: Best local beach?

A: One of my favorites is the Huntington Dog Beach because my dogs can chill out, and I can swim there, so that kills two birds with one stone. Malibu's pretty nice, too.

Q: Favorite way to cool off? I'm guessing it's going to be water-related.

A: Definitely a dive in the sea. Or ... I don't know ... I ran through my neighbor's sprinklers the other day. I hadn't done that in ages, and it was a blast.

Q: Favorite cold drink?

A: Mojito.

Q: Ice cream flavor?

A: Ben & Jerry's Phish Food.

Q: Favorite summer movie?

A: ``Dirty Dancing.'' I watched it every day after school for a straight year. I think I was in love with Patrick Swayze. (Laughs)

Q: Favorite summer reading?

A: The best book I've read in years is ``Way of the Peaceful Warrior.'' It's life-changing, for sure. And I love the book ``Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.'' It's an incredible story about this young man who doesn't have an actual smell. It freaks everybody out. But he has the strongest ability to smell, so he goes to work in this perfumery. And he starts to seek out smells by doing these crazy, hellacious acts. It's quite a read.

Q: Are you a smeller?

A: (Laughs) I am a major smeller. I smell everything.

Q: OK. Favorite summer smell?

A: Barbecue is a good smell. Or after a summer rain. That fresh smell when you walk outside and the dew is still on the leaves. (She inhales deeply.) That smell is amazing.

Q: Some guy just spent $30,000 at a charity auction to win a date with you. What should a guy who ponies up $30,000 expect for a night with Jessica Biel?

A: He should expect some great food and some great conversation. (Laughs) I think it's going to be fun. I do know he's very handsome.

Q: You've seen his picture?

A: My mom's checking him out. (Laughs)

Q: What do you miss most about Boulder, Colo.?

A: I miss the Rocky Mountains being at my back door. They were literally in my backyard. I miss the sort of innocence and naivete there. My parents just said, ``Go,'' and we'd run into the fields, the mountains and come back dirty and covered in bug bites and mosquito bites and scratches, and they'd be, ``Good for you.'' I just grew up so free, and I miss that about Boulder. People aren't stressed out there about safeties and worries.

Q: Are you a low-stress person?

A: Yeah. You sweat the small stuff in this business and you're done for. There's a lot of rejection. ``They don't want you.'' ``Why?'' ``Well, you're not blond.'' Something as simple as that. Trivial things. You're just not good enough. You just have to look at it like, ``Well, it's their loss.''

Q: Hey, you've got men spending $30,000 for a date with you ...

A: (Laughs) Yeah! But that's the way you have to look at things. It's the way I've looked at it since I was 13 years old. ``It's your loss.'' It's really kind of arrogant, but it's the only way to get through this business.

Glenn Whipp, [phone]

glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) The magical life of Jessica Biel

A chat with the star of the new film `The Illusionist'

(2) no caption (Jessica Biel)

(3) Ed Norton and Jessica Biel in ``The Illusionist.''