Claim: Justin Timberlake is an American.

Justin Randall Timberlake -LRB- born January 31 , 1981 -RRB- is an American singer-songwriter , actor and record producer . Born and raised in Tennessee , he appeared on the television shows Star Search and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club as a child . In the late 1990s , Timberlake rose to prominence as one of the two lead vocalists and youngest member of NSYNC , which eventually became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time . Timberlake began to adopt a more mature image as an artist with the release of his debut solo album , the R&B - focused Justified -LRB- 2002 -RRB- , which yielded the successful singles `` Cry Me a River '' and `` Rock Your Body '' , and earned his first two Grammy Awards .   His critically acclaimed second album FutureSex/LoveSounds -LRB- 2006 -RRB- , characterized by its diversity in music genres , debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 and produced the Hot 100 number-one singles `` SexyBack '' , `` My Love '' , and `` What Goes Around ... Comes Around '' . Established as a solo artist worldwide , his first two albums both exceeded sales of 10 million copies . He produced records and collaborated with other artists . From 2008 through 2012 , Timberlake focused on his acting career , effectively putting his music career on hiatus ; he held starring roles in the films The Social Network , Bad Teacher , In Time , and Friends with Benefits .   Timberlake resumed his music career in 2013 with his third and fourth albums The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience -- 2 of 2 , exploring neo soul styles , partly inspired by the expansive song structures of 1960s and 1970s rock . The former became the best-selling album of the year in the US with the largest sales week , and spawned the top-three singles `` Suit & Tie '' and `` Mirrors '' , while the latter produced the top-ten song `` Not a Bad Thing '' . For his live performances , including the eponymous concert tour for the albums , he began performing with his band The Tennessee Kids , composed by instrumentalists and dancers . Timberlake voiced the lead character in DreamWorks Animation 's Trolls -LRB- 2016 -RRB- , which soundtrack includes his fifth Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping single , `` Ca n't Stop the Feeling ! '' .   Among numerous awards and accolades , Timberlake is the recipient of ten Grammy Awards , four Emmy Awards , three Brit Awards , and nine Billboard Music Awards . Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 and 2013 . His other ventures include record label Tennman Records , fashion label William Rast , and the restaurants Destino and Southern Hospitality .