Justin Timberlake says he and Lance Bass were “so butt hurt” after hearing their NSYNC bandmates had scored parts for 2002’s “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones” that it came as a relief when they discovered their scenes didn’t make the final cut of the film.
Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and JC Chasez had been shooting a music video on a studio lot with the “Star Wars” prequel filming in a nearby sound stage. When producers found out they were big fans of the movie franchise, they promptly were cast in that day’s shoots as Jedi warriors.
Unfortunately for Timberlake and Bass, they were not on set that day. Though they wouldn’t have made the cut anyway.
As Fatone explained recently, the hang-up with the boy band’s Jedi warrior appearances was budget-related.
“Some of us actually were, but then they cut it out because we were [SAG-AFTRA members],” Fatone said during a Fandemic Tour Atlanta event last year. “Usually, they have to pay the SAG rights to it. We only signed a confidential thing — which we didn’t say anything — but they had to cut us out of it.”
The turn of events came up during the newly reunited band’s appearance on this week’s “Hot Ones” interview/taste-testing show.
When asked by host Sean Evans if the “Star Wars” story were true, Timberlake quickly and sarcastically answered, “Now we’re getting to the nitty-gritty questions.”
Kirkpatrick then proudly confirmed the experience.
“Yeah, heck yeah,” Kirkpatrick said.
Timberlake joked he and Bass weren’t exactly displeased by how it ended up.
“When you guys got cut out, we were like,” Timberlake said, cracking a devious look to the smile of Bass and laughter of the others.
Watch preview of the NSYNC “Hot Ones” below before it streams in full Thursday on YouTube.
