In 'Palmer,' Timberlake embraces stillness of a broken man
In 'Palmer,' Timberlake embraces stillness of a broken man
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Timberlake turns 40 this week and seemingly has the energy of a teenager, recently performing a new song for the inauguration celebration, welcoming a second son with wife Jessica Biel and starring in the new Apple TV+ film, “Palmer.”
Timberlake plays Eddie Palmer, a former high-school football star whose bad decisions land him in prison, with few options when he gets out. When he returns to his grandmother’s house in a small Southern town to try to build a life, he meets Sam, the charismatic 8-year-old boy next door who’s bullied for sometimes dressing like a girl and enjoying dolls and tea parties.
When Sam’s mother leaves town, Palmer reluctantly steps in to care for the boy.
Timberlake’s had star turns in films like “Friends with Benefits” and “Inside Llewyn Davis,” but “Palmer” marks his time as a solo film headliner. Since childhood, he’s mostly been known for his singing and dancing.
“Palmer” called for Timberlake to tone down his exuberance and play an intense, quiet, broken man living in a town where everyone knows his story.
“Twelve years in prison I think will make you a little numb… we’ve seen stories about the trauma of incarceration and so that played a part in how I wanted to portray this character,” Timberlake said in a recent interview.
