The fabulous life of Justin Timberlake from Mickey Mouse Club to *NSYNC, movies, and solo stardo

Now 38 years old, Timberlake has an impressive resume: 10 Grammys, multiple starring film roles, a 3-year-old son, and a long career full of triumphs, controversies, and iconic moments.

Here's a look back at Timberlake's eventful life and biggest achievements.

Justin Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee.

@justintimberlake/Instagram

After his parents divorced when Timberlake was in kindergarten, he moved to Memphis with his mom, whom he often callshis "best friend" in interviews.

"There's nothing in this world that I've done that my mother does not know about," he told Rolling Stone in 2001 .

In 1992, he was the runner-up on "Star Search."

Star Search/YouTube

Eleven-year-old Timberlake then going by his first and middle names, Justin Randall had his first brush with fame on the storied talent search show.

He was beat by a young singer named Anna Nardona. According to CBS, Nardona didn't even realize the Justin she beat was Justin Timberlake until decades later, when she was contacted by VH1 for a flashback special.

In 1993 and 1994, he starred on "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club."

Britney MTV/Facebook

"We were at the age when you just soak in everything," Timberlake told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 . "We were taking acting classes, music classes, dance classes. We were learning how coverage and editing and cinematography work. And being put in front of a live audience, learning how to engage the crowd to get a laugh. Honestly, it was like 'SNL'for children."

"I would've gotten arrested by now," he told Rolling Stone in 2000. "I was kind of like Ferris Bueller."

*NSYNC was formed in 1995.

Fred Duval/FilmMagic

Former MouseketeersTimberlake and J. C. Chasez were already writing songs and recording demos together when Chris Kirkpatrick came knocking to form a pop group.

As the legend goes , the three of them moved to Orlando; coincidentally ran into an old acquaintance, Joey Fatone, on Seventies night at the club Pleasure Island; brought in Jason Galasso before deciding he wasn't the right fit; and finally replaced Galasso with Lance Bass, who they recruited from a high school in Mississippi, thanks to a connection with Timberlake's vocal coach.

The boy band released their debut self-titled album in the US on March 24, 1998. Following a disappointing debut, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after they performed on a Disney Channel concert special that summer.

Timberlake became the natural leader of the boy band.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Timberlake, 14 years old when the group formed and 17 when their debut album was released, was the youngest member by far. He took on lead vocals alongside Chasez and went on to shoulder much of the songwriting responsibilities.

"He's restless, driven, polite and pleasant especially pleasant, positive, and encouraging when coaching Chris on his vocals," Rolling Stone reporter Tour wrote about Timberlake in 2001 . He was the only member interviewed when *NSYNC nabbed one of the magazine's "people of the year" distinctions.

Around this time, Timberlake began dating Britney Spears.

Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Although Timberlake had been romantically linked to Britney Spears as early as 1998, he played it coy when asked about their relationship in 2000. (Timberlake later said they were together for four years .)

"Britney's a good friend of mine; I've known her since I was 12," he told Rolling Stone in 2000 when asked if they were dating. "I don't like to comment on my personal life anymore. Everything gets blown out of proportion. I've been in the tabloids, and I don't enjoy it."

They stepped out as a couple, however, less than six months later at the MTV Video Music Awards.

"I think my girl is fine," he told Rolling Stone a year later in 2001. "I scored. What can I say? The thing is, so many girls you meet in this business are so into themselves, and Britney is not. She's as down-home as she was before she got into this. That's the best thing about her. I got the cream of the crop, man!"

*NSYNCs sophomore album shot to No. 1 upon its release on April 8, 2000.

*NSYNC / Jive Records

After leaving RCA and counter-suing their management company, the group produced and released "No Strings Attached" largely without the help of a major record label.

"This is our record. The record company didn't send anyone to us," Chasez told Rolling Stone at the time . "It was a sticky situation. A lot of creative people we approached didn't want to work with us. We didn't have a contract saying that any of these songs would make it on the album when we did get a new deal. So the people who worked with us were straight up about the music. And that was amazing."

Timberlake starred in the 2000 Disney Channel original movie "Model Behavior."

Disney Channel

Timberlake played a male model named Jason Sharp , who was saving up for grad school so he could become an astronomer. Maggie Lawson played two strangers who looked identical, one a model (Jason's girlfriend) and the other a high school student (Jason's true love), who switch places.

Spears and Timberlake famously coordinated all-denim looks at the 2001 American Music Awards.

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

They cemented their status as a power couple and their future as the perfect Halloween costume for couples at the 2001 American Music Awards.

*NSYNC performed with Spears and Aerosmith for the 2001 Super Bowl halftime show.

Scott Gries/ImageDirect

The boys were then joined by Aerosmith. Timberlake and Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler even had a dance-off. Finally, Spears showed up followed by special guests Mary J. Blige and Nelly to shut down the show.

He even joined Spears onstage for her "Saturday Night Live" monologue on February 2, 2002.

Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

But they split just one month later.

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

While breakup reports swirled around the power couple, their publicist issued a statement on March 20: "They love each other very much and have not broken up." Just five days later, however, Spears declared she was single at a press conference in London.

It's been widely reported that Spears cheated on Timberlake.

Shortly after, *NSYNC announced a "temporary hiatus."

J. Shearer/WireImage

"We all wanted to do it, and we were ready to do it," he said. "Performing at stadiums every night for 50,000 fans takes a little out of you. I was 14 when we started, and we've been touring for the last seven years. The time was right; we were all in the same zone. This album is what I wanted to do."

It wasn't until 2007 that Bass confirmed the "hiatus" was, indeed, permanent , writing in his 2007 book "Out of Sync" that "Justin made it clear that he wouldn't be interested in discussing another album any time soon."

"I felt like I cared more about the music than some of the other people in the group," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. "I felt like I had other music I wanted to make and that I needed to follow my heart."

He performed as a solo artist for the first time on August 29, 2002.

KMazur/WireImage

Timberlake took the stage at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards to perform his debut solo single, "Like I Love You," which went on to hit No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Timberlake released his debut solo album "Justified" on November 5, 2002.

"It's no embarrassment to say that the powerful transition captured on 'Justified' could never be duplicated by him again, or anyone else," Weiss writes. "That's the 21-year-old captured on his debut album: ready to take over the world, and not unaware of how ridiculous that is."

The controversial music video for "Cry Me a River" premiered on November 25, 2002.

Justin Timberlake/YouTube

"Cry Me a River," the second single from Timberlake's debut album, was a clear standout thanks to his impressive vocal range on full display, Timbaland's thumping production and, of course, the scathing, petty lyrics about a cheating partner , whom everyone assumed to be Spears.

The video further sensationalized the breakup . It features Lauren Hastings, a model many described as a "Britney look-alike," clearly dressed to look like Spears with a newsboy cap and tinted pink sunglasses.

While spying on his girlfriend, Timberlake catches her getting into a car with another man. He then breaks into her house and films himself hooking up with another woman on her bed.

"It's a good-ass video," Timberlake told Rolling Stone . "I didn't want anyone to come off smelling like roses."

Timberlake has repeatedly denied that Spears inspired the song or video, but his ex tells a different story.

"He called me up and wanted to supposedly get back together or whatever, but behind it was, 'And by the way, you're in a video that's coming out.' That kind of got slipped in. 'Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal,'" Spears told Rolling Stone in 2011 . "I had the power to say no to the video. But I didn't, because I thought, 'Hey, it's your video.'"

"I hadn't seen it. Then it came out, and I said, 'I should've freakin' said no to this s---!'" she continued. "And I said, 'Why did you do this?' He goes, 'Well, I got a controversial video.' And I was like, 'You did. Yay for you.' So he got what he wanted. I think it looks like such a desperate attempt, personally. But that was a great way to sell the record. He's smart."

He hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time on October 11, 2003.

Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Timberlake starred in iconic (and reoccurring) sketches like "The Barry Gibb Talk Show" and "Omeletville." He has now hosted the comedic variety show five times.

His infamous Super Bowl performance with Janet Jackson took place on February 1, 2004.

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

When Timberlake delivered the final line, "Hurry up, 'cause you're taking too long / I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song," he performed a choreographed move to rip away the front portion of Jackson's black Alexander McQueen -designed costume that was covering her right breast.

For 9/16ths of a second , Jackson's breast complete with a sun-shaped piece of nipple jewelry was displayed to the entire viewing audience.

Timberlake won his first-ever Grammy Award in 2004.

Dan MacMedan/WireImage

Timberlake's previous work with *NSYNC had received major nominations such as record of the year for "Bye Bye Bye" and best pop vocal album for "Celebrity" but the group never won.

On July 18, 2006, Timberlake released the timeless classic, "SexyBack."

Justin Timberlake/YouTube

The lead single from his forthcoming album, which remains highly popular to this day, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent seven weeks atop the list.

Timberlakes sophomore album "FutureSex/LoveSounds" dropped on September 8, 2006.

Justin Timberlake/Jive Records

"FutureSex/LoveSounds" has been listed among the 100 best albums of the 2000s by a myriad of major music publications, including Rolling Stone , Pitchfork , and Complex .

It was nominated for album of the year at the 2006 Grammys, but ultimately lost to "Taking the Long Way" by the Dixie Chicks. Timberlake did, however, win best rap/sung collaboration for "My Love," best dance recording for "SexyBack," best dance recording the following year for "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows," and best male pop vocal performance for "What Goes Around... Comes Around."

With "Summer Love" (following the successes of "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around... Comes Around"), the album became the only one by a male artist in history to generate four No. 1 songs on the Billboard Pop Songs chart.

Timberlake hosted "SNL" again on December 16, 2006 and starred in the Emmy-winning "Dick in a Box."

He began dating Jessica Biel in early 2007.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Timberlake met Biel at the Golden Globes in January 2007. Biel's "7th Heaven" costar and pal Beverly Mitchell later talked about the initial encounter, revealing that she got to witness the sparks fly firsthand.

They remained very low-key for a number of years, rarely stepping out in public. They split briefly in 2011 before he proposed to her at the end of that year.

In November 2009, it was announced that Timberlake had been cast in "The Social Network."

Sony Pictures/"The Social Network"

Timberlake scored a role in Facebook's highly anticipated origin story. The pop star was cast as Sean Parker , who co-founded the music sharing website Napster and went on to become Facebook's founding president,

But "The Social Network," directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, was nominated for best picture at the 2011 Oscars. (It won three other awards, including best adapted screenplay.)

The acclaimed film dramatically altered the trajectory of Timberlake's acting career or, as he put it to THR , "There are two parts to my acting career: before 'The Social Network' and after."

He starred in two romantic comedies in the summer of 2011.

Screen Gems

"Bad Teacher" hit theaters on June 20, 2011, which featured Timberlake in something of a heartthrob role alongside Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel. It was fine .

"Friends With Benefits" director Will Gluck told The Hollywood Reporter that he cast Timberlake thanks to his stints on "Saturday Night Live": "On 'SNL,' he was so funny and natural and likable and encapsulated so many different characters. I just knew this guy was really good."

Timberlake also starred in the sci-fi thriller "In Time," released in November 2011, alongside Amanda Seyfried andCillian Murphy.

On October 19, 2012, Timberlake and Biel tied the knot.

The couple tied the knot at the castle-like Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia, Italy. Timberlake serenaded his soon-to-be wife as she walked down the aisle in a pink custom-made Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown.

Timberlake officially returned to music in January 2013 with "Suit & Tie."

Justin Timberlake/YouTube

I think IM READY, Timberlake wrote on Twitter in early January, posting a link to a YouTube video that shows him walking into a studio and explaining why he hadn't released new music in seven years.

"The inspiration for this really came out of the blue and to be honest, I didn't expect anything out of it," he wrote in an open letter on his website . "I just went into the studio and started playing around with some sounds and songs. It was probably the best time I've had in my career... Just creating with no rules and/or end goal in mind and really enjoying the process."

"Suit & Tie" was later nominated at the 2013 Grammys for best pop duo/group performance and won best music video.

The Coen brothers "Inside Llewyn Davis" premiered at Cannes on May 19, 2013.

"Inside Llewyn Davis"

On August 25, 2013, Timberlake received the VMAs Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage for MTV

He released two No. 1 albums in 2014.

RCA Records

Timberlake's third studio album, "The 20/20 Experience,"debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts. He followed it up with "The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2)" later that year, which also shot to No. 1.

"The 20/20 Experience - The Complete Experience" was nominated for best pop vocal album at the 2013 Grammys. Two of the album's singles, "Suit & Tie" amd "Mirrors" as well as the collaboration "Holy Grail," which appeared on Jay-Z' s album also received nods.

Biel gave birth to the couples first child, son Silas Randall, on April 11, 2015.

justintimberlake/Instagram

In May 2016, Timberlake debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with "Cant Stop the Feeling!"

Justin Timberlake/YouTube

Timberlake penned the song for the "Trolls" movie soundtrack. He voiced the lead character in the animated musical comedy, which was released in November 2016, opposite Anna Kendrick .

Timberlake released his most divisive album yet, "Man of the Woods," on February 2, 2018.

Justin Timberlake/RCA

For "Man of the Woods," Timberlake continued to distort R&B sounds and work with reliable collaborators like Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, and The Neptunes but he also leaned into country and folk more so than ever before.

"It sounds more like where I've come from than any other music I've ever made," he told THR while working on the album . "It's Memphis. It's Southern American music. But I want to make it sound modern at least that's the idea right now."

Two days later, on February 4, 2018, Timberlake performed at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images

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Patria Henriques

Update: 2024-10-12

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