"I got into a little trouble," said 'N Sync's Chris
Kirkpatrick after the hot-hot band was featured
Tuesday in a
USA TODAY cover story. They loved the article, "but
I guess it said JC was the only one who admitted to
having
a girlfriend." Chris waved at a blond beauty at
Tuesday night's Jive release party for their No
Strings Attached
album. "She's like, what! What are you talking
about? I was like, no, I didn't deny it!" Maybe he
wasn't asked,
but this time he introduced gal pal Danielle, though
he didn't want her last name known. "She's kind of
in the
business. She doesn't sing." Up on the balcony at
Laura Belle in Manhattan, the rest of the quintet
were happy to
chat about their first visit to the Academy Awards,
to perform the nominated Diane Warren song Music of
My
Heart. "There's so many actors I look up to," said
Justin Timberlake. "Samuel L. Jackson, I hope I see
him.
We've met Tom Hanks; we're going to be working with
his production company doing a movie later this
year. I
actually want to meet Brad Pitt and Jennifer
Aniston." Told Pitt will be presenting, he said, "I
don't think he gets
enough credit for what he does. I think he's really
good. And is Halle Berry supposed to be there? I'm
in love
with Halle Berry!" Probably he won't be seeing her
there. Many popsters want to be actors, and vice
versa, but
Justin said, "We decided all the musicians want to
be basketball players and all the basketball players
want to be
musicians. So me and Kobe(Bryant) are going to trade
places - after this year, he's going to join 'N Sync
and I'm
going to join the Lakers." Justin, as he says, likes
to "mess" with people. Lance Bass revealed they'll
wear Dolce
& Gabana tuxedos and onstage gear, but they leave
the details up to their wardrobe man. "I really want
to meet
Julia Roberts; she's been one of my all-time
favorite actresses. And I love Sandra Bullock. I'm a
huge movie
buff. I'll be like the little kid in the candy
store." He says the group used to watch Hanks' movie
about a band,
That Thing You Do!, and dream, "We want to be like
that some day." As for the Oscar parties, "We'll try
to go
to as many as we can. We're big partiers!"
