Can Justin Timberlake Be Taken Seriously as an Actor?

"The Social Network" has moviegoers buzzing. If you were expecting to see a silly Facebook movie, you were certainly pleasantly surprised. After all the positive reviews, the most surprising thing wasn't how good the movie was, but how great Justin Timberlake was in it.

Though he's normally associated with bringing sexy back and his trademark falsetto, Timberlake brought out his acting chops as Napster co-founder Sean Parker in the hit movie. The most striking part was that he was able to successfully make you forget that he's such a big star in his own right. I never stopped and thought that I was watching former 'Nsync-er, Justin Timberlake. His performance was as seamless as Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerberg.

So can the singer turned actor actually be taken seriously in Hollywood? After this, there is no doubt that the answer is a resounding yes. Though he has long been heralded for his hilarious performances on SNL, this is the movie that people will look back on and remember as his breakthrough performance. David Fincher managed to integrate him into a strong cast in a way that did not distract from the film at all. And he was certainly careful to ensure of that by making Timberlake audition several times before being cast. According to Timberlake, he had to "kick the door down to be a part of this."

It was a gamble that paid off. Timberlake completely embodied the role of the strung out Silicon Valley bad boy, even when trashing the music industry that he grew up a part of. All charm and manipulation, he lit up the screen in a way that was reminiscent of Angelina Jolie's Oscar winning performance in "Girl Interrupted." And aptly so, there is some Oscar buzz surrounding the movie and the role. While I would be surprised if he was actually nominated, it wouldn't be undeserved.

Now that he's grabbed our attention in a hit movie, we can definitely expect to see more of him on the big screen. Unlike movies like "Alpha Dog," which no one cared to see, he has now proven to casting directors and audiences alike that he's a force to be reckoned with. It won't be long until he is Hollywood's new leading man. As much as I wish that he would put out another album, I certainly don't mind him putting music off to star in legitimately good movies.