As one of the founding members of the group 'N Sync, Justin Timberlake has found himself in the enviable position of being a teen pop star, following his dreams of performing and attaining fame and riches. His image hangs in countless school lockers and on his fans' bedroom walls and bulletin boards worldwide.
Casting Timberlake in the role of teen supermodel Jason Sharp in "Model Behavior" sounds like art imitating life, and that's almost what it is. But beyond the fame and perceptions of what that brings, Justin Timberlake believes himself to be just a regular guy -- very much like the character he portrays.
"The character I play is a teen supermodel," said Timberlake. "In reality, he's just a laid-back guy who really doesn't care too much about the business; he's just an ordinary person. When he meets Alex (impersonating Janine), he thinks she's nothing like he thought she was -- y'know, the foo-foo model type."
"I really felt perfect for the role of Jason. He's pretty much misunderstood in the movie. It's kind of fun to play somebody that nobody really knows too much about. They're just looked at as a public figure -- which I know a little bit about, so it wasn't that much of a stretch," he said with a wink of his blue eyes.
"I'm pretty much in the public eye 24/7. There's more than a little irony in being cast for this role as a teen model/idol. I understand what the character is going through. I can relate to his not really taking the business too seriously and wanting to be considered a regular person. And he is. He's just a regular, down-to-earth guy."
As regular a guy as Timberlake believes himself to be.
"I think when you're in the press, people perceive you as how they want to perceive you. Then when they meet you, they discover that you're not who they imagined you to be. I think the main thing I want people to understand about me is that I'm real," he continued.
"I know what it's like to be in the tabloids and to have false things said about you. And I'm only 18," he said ironically.
While Timberlake is currently riding a wave of fame and popularity, he was once a student much like many of his fans. He also felt a little bit like an outsider, much like the character of Alex in "Model Behavior," who yearns to be someone as special as teen model Janine Adams.
"I think that in junior high I was not in my own environment," he reflected. "I remember sitting in a classroom and being so unhappy. It didn't have anything to do with how I was being taught or with the teachers. It was just that I knew I wanted to be performing; I wanted to be in the studio recording a song. I knew I wanted to be pursuing my dreams. And there weren't those opportunities available to me in public school. I was always a whiz in class. I made straight A's, but never really enjoyed school because I had my mind on other things."
Timberlake then confessed that his public school career wasn't all introspective and gloomy. In fact, he was very much a very popular kid in his class.
"I was Ferris Bueller. I tried to get out of school anytime, just to see if I could do it. I think I had the best of both worlds because I had all the teachers on my good side, and I had all the kids on my good side," he said with a smile.
"I remember everyone saying, 'If you're going to get in trouble, get in trouble with Justin. He knows all the teachers and he's in good with them.' I was always entertaining in school. I was finding a way to make everyone laugh or to make everyone hear my voice.
"I went to a regular school up until ninth grade. As soon as I turned 14, my friends and I started up a little group called 'N Sync. Then I started with home schooling, which I just finished."
Now at the ripe old age of 18, Timberlake envisions his future career will be in entertainment in one form or another.
"I don't see myself giving up music. Music has always been a big part of my life, and I think it always will be. As far as acting goes, this is something that -- well, I'm 18 years old. Pretty young. I'm still figuring out who I am and if acting is going to be a part of my life. That's what I'm experimenting with. I don't have any regrets about anything that I've done so far. I always keep my eyes on the sky. That's the best thing that I can say.
"I think music will always be a big part of my life. I can't go five minutes without singing, sometimes unconsciously. And people stare at me, and I'm wondering why they're staring, and then I'm realizing that I'm belting out a tune.
"I'd love to make film and television a part of my life, too. Not many people can say that they are pursuing a career and it's what they love to do. My hobby is my career, and it's something really special. You don't find that every day," he concluded.
