Justin Timberlake

Singer and actor

• Born: January 31, 1981
• Place of Birth: Memphis, Tennessee

Singer and actor. Justin Timberlake is a Grammy Award–winning American singer and Oscar-nominated actor. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1981, he began singing as a young child under the guidance of his father, a choir director. By the age of eleven, he had appeared in several local and national talent shows, including the long-running television showcase Star Search. He began performing professionally at age twelve when he joined the cast of The All New Mickey Mouse Club, which also featured future pop stars Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and JC Chasez.

His first major success came with the internationally popular pop group ’N Sync. Assembled and funded by music entrepreneur Lou Pearlman, the group also featured Mickey Mouse Club alumnus Chasez and three other young vocalists. From 1995 to 2002, N’Sync achieved enormous success and international popularity, performing throughout the world while selling over fifty million albums.

Timberlake’s success with ’N Sync ultimately led him to pursue a career as a solo artist. His 2002 debut solo album, Justified, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. His 2006 release FutureSex/LoveSounds also received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. Following an extended hiatus during which he made guest appearances on numerous albums and pursued various other projects, Timberlake returned to music in 2013 with the release of the albums The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience—2 of 2, followed by his 2018 album Man of the Woods.

In addition to his numerous successes in music, Timberlake’s career has extended into both television and film. He won Emmy Awards in 2009 and 2011 for his spate of appearances and collaborations on the popular sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, of which he is a frequent host. One of his most celebrated film roles came in 2010's The Social Network, a drama about the genesis of the social media network Facebook, in which he portrayed American entrepreneur Sean Parker. The film itself won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe for best drama in 2011. In 2017, his voice work and songwriting earned him an Academy Award nomination for the 2016 animated film Trolls, and he continued with acting roles into the 2020s.

Timberlake has also ventured into several successful business projects, notably the upscale men’s clothing line William Rast as well as several restaurants throughout the United States. Timberlake is also part of the ownership group of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association.

Background

Justin Timberlake was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 31, 1981, to Lynn Harless and Randall Timberlake. He was raised in nearby Millington. Timberlake’s earliest musical influence was his father, who was the choir director at a local church. His parents divorced when he was five.

Timberlake began performing as early as age eight, when he appeared at a local lip-syncing contest, performing to a song by the popular 1980s group New Kids on the Block. His performance and the reaction of the crowd encouraged his mother to pursue further opportunities for Timberlake, who, despite his young age, appeared to be a natural and gifted performer.

In 1992, at age eleven, Timberlake appeared in an episode of the syndicated television talent show Star Search, performing a cover of a song by popular country artist Alan Jackson. Encouraged by both his Star Search performance and his appearances in numerous local shows, Timberlake auditioned for Disney’s All New Mickey Mouse Club at a Nashville casting call in 1993. The tryout was a success, and Timberlake joined the variety show’s ensemble cast, which also included future collaborator JC Chasez as well as future stars Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling. Timberlake remained with the show until its cancellation in 1995.

’N Sync

In 1995, Timberlake was approached by music manager Lou Pearlman and singers Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone about forming a new all-male singing group. Pearlman was already a titan in the genre, having achieved success with the founding of the Backstreet Boys. Following the addition of Chasez and Lance Bass, the group began work on its debut album. Timberlake’s mother dubbed the group ’N Sync after commenting on the compatibility of their singing voices. The album *NSYNC was released in 1997 and became a success in both the United States and abroad. With the release of follow-up albums No Strings Attached (2000) and Celebrity (2001), ’N Sync became one of the most popular musical acts of the early 2000s, performing across the globe. The group earned eight Grammy nominations between 2000 and 2002 while selling over 50 million records.

Solo Debut

Timberlake began work on his first solo album, Justified, while ’N Sync was on a hiatus that soon proved to be permanent. Released in November 2002, the album established Timberlake as a star in his own right, earning him four Grammy nominations and the award for best male pop vocal performance for the song "Cry Me a River." Timberlake went on to collaborate with numerous popular performers, including the Black Eyed Peas, Snoop Dogg, and Nelly. In 2003, he was invited to host the late-night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL). He would return to the show as host four times over the next decade in addition to making various guest appearances.

2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show

In the wake of his success as a solo artist and his high-profile musical collaborations, Timberlake was selected to accompany pop star Janet Jackson in her performance at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004. Timberlake had previously performed as an opening act for Jackson on tour during his time with ’N Sync. At the end of the duo’s performance, Timberlake removed a portion of Jackson’s costume, briefly exposing her breast. Producers of the show and representatives of both Jackson and Timberlake immediately termed the incident a "wardrobe malfunction." The scandal, which some commentators dubbed Nipplegate, sparked a controversy about the place of nudity on national television while also prompting debate about double standards, as Jackson bore the brunt of the blame for the incident despite Timberlake’s involvement. Timberlake offered an apology for the incident while serving as a presenter at the 2004 Grammy Awards.

Timberlake emerged from the controversy surrounding the Super Bowl halftime show largely unscathed, and in 2006, he released his second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds. Propelled by the singles "SexyBack," "My Love," and "What Goes Around . . . Comes Around," the album was a commercial and critical success and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Acting

Although he contributed vocals to songs by such artists as Timbaland and Madonna, Timberlake spent the latter part of the 2000s largely on a hiatus from recording and musical performance, dedicating himself almost exclusively to acting. Drawing on his experience in several made-for-television and direct-to-video movies, he made his theatrical film debut in 2006’s Alpha Dog, a crime drama in which he played a supporting role. While his roles in films such as The Social Network (2010), Bad Teacher (2011), and Friends with Benefits (2011) earned modest critical praise, Timberlake’s most widely appreciated acting performances occurred during his stints as host and performer on SNL. His musical collaborations with SNL cast member Andy Samberg proved particularly popular with viewers, and Timberlake was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on the show in both 2009 and 2011. He hosted the program for a fifth time in 2017.

Timberlake next costarred in the crime thriller Runner Runner (2013) with Ben Affleck and Gemma Arterton. In 2016, he costarred as the voice of Branch in the animated children's musical Trolls alongside Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Christine Baranski, and Gwen Stefani. For his work on the soundtrack for the film, specifically on the popular song "Can't Stop the Feeling," Timberlake, with cowriters Max Martin and Shellback, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures.

Return to Music

Meanwhile, Timberlake returned to music with the release of 2013’s The 20/20 Experience. The album received glowing reviews from notable publications such as Spin, Rolling Stone, and the Observer, reestablishing Timberlake as the contemporary heir to music titans Michael Jackson and Prince. The album received the award for favorite soul/R&B record at the 2013 American Music Awards. The companion album, The 20/20 Experience—2 of 2, was released in the fall of 2013. He did not release his next album, Man of the Woods, which also proved commercially successful, until five years later, in 2018, the same year in which he returned to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.

Still pursuing acting roles at the same time, in 2020's Trolls World Tour, he reprised his role as Branch. The following year, the live-action drama Palmer, which follows Timberlake's lead character, a man who had been convicted of a crime, as he returns home and becomes friends with a young boy, was released on the streaming service Apple TV+. In 2022, Timberlake continued to make appearances on television and in music videos. The following year saw him release the first new music with his 'N Sync bandmates since the early 2000s. After reuniting to much fanfare to present an award at that year's MTV Video Music Awards, their single "Better Place," a contribution to the soundtrack for the upcoming installment of the Trolls film franchise, became available for downloading and streaming. At the same time, the crime-drama film Reptile (2023), in which Timberlake starred alongside Benicio Del Toro, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before its release on Netflix.

In March 2024, Timberlake released his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was, which reached number four on the US album charts. Three months later, Timberlake was arrested on Long Island, New York, and charged with drunken driving. In September 2024, Timberlake pleaded guilty to a lesser change of impaired driving and was fined, had his license suspended, and was sentenced to community service.

Business Ventures

Over the years, Timberlake has parlayed his success as an entertainer into several successful businesses spanning fashion, sports, and entertainment. In addition to creating the fashion line William Rast with a close associate, he has collaborated with the bag manufacturer Ful. An avid golfer, Timberlake was also the driving force behind Mirimichi, a public golf course in his native Memphis. Timberlake’s investment in the Memphis sports scene also carried over to professional sports; in 2012, he acquired a minority stake in the city’s professional basketball team, the Memphis Grizzlies.

Impact

Not content to become a relic of the late 1990s boy band craze, Timberlake took his career in a new direction following his departure from ’N Sync, becoming one of the most celebrated and successful performing artists in American history. While many artists work primarily in one realm of performance art, Timberlake has used his natural talents as a songwriter, dancer, and actor to transform himself into a kind of contemporary superstar who can span all platforms of entertainment media. In an era when trends and stars who embody them are created and disposed of almost daily, Timberlake has remained a successful performer for more than two decades.

Personal Life

Timberlake married actor Jessica Biel in 2012. They had a son, Silas Randall Timberlake, in April 2015, before having a second son, Phineas, in 2020.

Bibliography

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Holmes, Charles. "Justin Timberlake Went to the Woods. 2 Years Later, He's Returned to Rap and R&B." Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2020, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/justin-timberlake-went-to-the-woods-2-years-later-hes-returned-to-rap-and-rb-958457/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Jones, Chris. "Go Ahead, Set Him on Fire." Esquire Oct. 2011: 122–129. Print.

"Justin Timberlake." IMDb, 2024, www.imdb.com/name/nm0005493/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Marcelo, Philip. "Justin Timberlake Pleads Guilty to Impaired Driving in New York." Associated Press, 13 Sept. 2024, apnews.com/article/justin-timberlake-guilty-plea-dui-new-york-cef669c8c25fad277f47bd17536a2940. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Sens, Josh. "Justin Timberlake’s Wonderful World of Golf." Golf Magazine Feb. 2012: 82. Print.

Weiner, Jonah. "Leading Man, Miles Beyond the Boy Band." New York Times, 15 July 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/movies/justin-timberlake-friends-with-benefits-bad-teacher.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.