INTERROGATION: Justin Timberlake - 'I like a nice booty'

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Dec 14, 2003 | by Words: Hilary Morgan

So are you getting married to Cameron Diaz? Justin Timberlake: No, I'm not getting married. And no, I'm not having triplets.

What about the rumour you're going to become a film star? JT: That's one of those cases where I'd do it if the project is right. It's an area where I feel I'm a rookie. I'd like to study and make my acting the best I possibly can.

How gruelling is your schedule on this European tour?

JT: My daily routine usually involves sleeping a lot. I'll train for about an hour or more, I like to do a little cardio. Next, it's off to the venue to do some sound checks, then the 'meet and greet' with fans, plus I usually do a few radio interviews. Then it's dinner and the show. I try to keep it simple.

What demands do you make when you're touring?

JT: I like to take my usual favourite stuff into the venue and into the dressing room. I really like candles to chill out, but I'm in a different spot every day, so it's kind of tough to have a regular set-up for the room. I just take what I can.

What do you do when you have some spare time?

JT:: Probably end up in a bar somewhere. I enjoy being a tourist and doing normal things. That's the trick. I try to keep things as normal and sane as possible. I like walking around and ending up where I end up.

Can you ever walk around without being recognised?

JT: You'd be amazed what you can do with a baseball cap and a hoodie. When I'm not working I don't travel with security. I go by myself or with friends. The more you act normal, the less attention you get.

What's been the most memorable experience of this tour so far?

JT: Dublin was my favourite show. To hear people singing songs they've heard on the radio is easy. To hear the Dublin crowd sing a song that wasn't even released, well, it kind of gave me a chill. It meant more than anything during the show because it let me know the fans are listening to the whole album and not just the hit singles.

Do you get nervous before you go on stage?

JT: I think it's natural to get a little nervous. I get more nervous before club shows. The arena shows are more pre-planned and all about focusing and saving your energy for that hour and a half. Club shows are more freestyle.

Has your voice ever failed you?

JT: I've toured for six or seven years now. You get to the point where you know your limitations. Every day your voice is in a different location, in a different temperature, and the air is different everywhere you go, so I've had a couple of shows where my voice just didn't come out right. When that happens I'll hold the microphone out towards the crowd and make them sing for a minute. Some days your voice just doesn't work the way you want it to.

Who else would you like to work with?

JT: My wish list goes on and on. I enjoy stretching my limits in the studio, so I'd pick Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow or Lenny Kravitz. You want to put salt and pepper together and see if it works out. Not literally the group Salt 'N Pepa, but you know what I mean.

Are you writing an autobiography?

JT: Not right now. I don't even keep a diary.

Which famous person would you like to give dance lessons to?

JT: I'm at a loss for words. Maybe Michael Jordan. I saw him dance one time in a Michael Jackson video. He's an awesome basketball player, but he needs some dance lessons.

What did you think of the Madonna and Britney kiss?

JT: I hope it was good for them.

What qualities do you like in girls?

JT: I like honesty in girls. If you're genuine and you have a nice booty, then you're a winner.

How do you know who to trust now you're so famous?

JT: I trust my team. My day-to-day team is not that big. It consists of only a handful of people. I have a minder who travels with me and a day-to-day assistant. That's it. And that's fine with me. I know they're genuine because they were around before everything took off.

You recently took some fans back to your home in Tennessee for a US TV show. What was that like?

JT: Great. We filmed at a small club there and went to the back roads and country spots outside Memphis, where I grew up. I didn't take them to my house. That's a little too personal. But I grew up right behind a state park - literally in the forest - and we went for a drive around there and visited my old school. I grew up in humble surroundings.

Do you enjoy going back home?

JT: It feels so comfortable to go home. Things feel real slow, like time stops for a second.

Do you get sick of the fascination with your personal life?

JT: It's a strange phenomenon. I've had people come up as I was eating a meal and take pictures of me. That's out of order, it's not right. But I guess that's the price you pay. I'm grateful for the opportunity to do what I love. Still, when you're eating and glance up to see a telephoto lens, you feel violated. But I know it's not physically harming me.

And what about all the tall stories about you?

JT: When rumours start, I laugh. I have my own perspective on it. To me, it's like being at high school, but on a bigger forum. At school, you go to a party on the weekend and everyone goes back to school the next day and whispers, 'Did you hear what so-and-so did?' But instead of school, I have the world press. You have to laugh it off and just accept you can't control it.