Justin Timberlake Opens Oscars With 'Can't Stop the Feeling,' Dances Down Aisle and Kisses Wife Jessica Biel
Can Justin Timberlake host the Oscars next year?
The unstoppable showman opened the 89th Annual Academy Awards with an infectious performance of his Oscar-nominated tune, “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” and hyped the star-studded Dolby Theatre audience with a massive dance party.
Breaking with tradition from previous openings, this year’s Oscars banked on one of its biggest stars to turn up the heat and Timberlake did not disappoint, making his way from outside the Dolby Theatre entrance and through the audience.
As the 36-year-old performer pumped up the crowd with sunny lyrics like “Nothing I can see but you when you dance, dance, dance,” Timberlake shared a swoon-worthy moment with his former ‘90s Mickey Mouse Club co-star (and roommate!) Ryan Gosling.
The two hugged for a brief moment, causing Gosling to smile from his front-row seat. Aww.
Who says Hollywood’s too stuffy to rock out to a radio-friendly jingle? Jeff Bridges, Naomi Harris, Janelle Monae, Brie Larson, Octavia Spencer, Leslie Mann and Sting were just several stars bopping to the beat like it was a Timberlake concert and not the Academy Awards.
But we were all Charlize Theron, who had a big smile on her face as she clapped along.
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Taraji P. Henson was really feeling the performance, too.
And we couldn’t help but notice Keith Urban singing the lyrics like a pro, while Nicole Kidman was in her own JT world!
Timberlake switched things up (why not?) when he transitioned to a remixed version of Bill Withers’ classic, “Lovely Day,” which brought him back down to the floor where he sweetly met his wife, Jessica Biel, for an impromptu dance.
After the performance, which had the entire Dolby Theatre crowd standing, Timberlake and Biel sneaked in a quick kiss in the aisle. So sweet!
RELATED: Justin Timberlake Warms Up for Oscars Performance With Sweet Dance Moves
After Timberlake’s stellar rendition of his popular Trolls hit, Timberlake introduced Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel, who jokingly dreaded his entrance.
“Oh good, I got a sitting ovation, awesome,” Kimmel joked once he went onstage, before Timberlake threw the mic onstage, which he failed to catch. (Totally a bit!) “Well, I’ve ruined the Oscars already, what have I got to say?”
“Justin, he was terrific,” he continued. “I want to say on your behalf, I really hope the other guys from ‘NSYNC are watching that performance because if they were, I think there’s a really good chance they’re going to let you back into the band.”
What “shade,” Kimmel!
Timberlake and Biel stopped by to chat with ET ahead of the Oscars, where he gushed about his stunning wife. Watch the exclusive interview below.
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