Justin Guarini may have looked comfortable performing for millions on “American Idol,” but the experience was far more nerve-racking than viewers realized.
More than two decades after finishing second to Kelly Clarkson on the show’s first season, Justin, 47, is opening up about the fear he experienced during the competition and why those early moments have stayed with him.
The singer and Broadway star is now using his personal experiences to help others find the confidence to take chances.
Justin Guarini Recalls Being Terrified on ‘American Idol’
In a new interview with People, Justin admitted that stepping onto the “American Idol” stage in 2002 took considerable courage, especially since nobody knew what the new singing competition would become.
He remembered facing judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson while struggling with nerves.
“So for me, my confident moment in American Idol was stepping out onto that stage, stepping in front of Simon [Cowell] and Paula [Abdul] and Randy [Jackson], stepping forward and just doing what it is that I know how to do. Even though I was so afraid I was shaking at certain points, I trusted that I could handle whatever the outcome would be.”
Despite those fears, Justin became one of the season’s standout contestants and ultimately finished runner-up to Kelly Clarkson.
Justin also told People in his interview that his book is not a memoir. Instead, he hopes readers can apply what he has learned to their own relationships, careers, and personal challenges.
“What I love to talk about in the book is: what would be possible for you if you no longer saw fear as an enemy, but as an ally? What would be possible for you if you no longer saw the failures of your past, or the potential failures of your future, as an identity, but instead saw them as just an event?”
Justin Guarini Reflects on Life After ‘American Idol’
Although Kelly went on to become a Grammy-winning superstar, Justin established his own career in entertainment. The singer starred alongside Kelly in the 2003 movie “From Justin to Kelly” before making his Broadway debut in 2010’s “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.”
His theater credits include “American Idiot,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Wicked,” and “Once Upon a One More Time.”
Since 2015, he has also entertained audiences as Lil’ Sweet in Diet Dr Pepper commercials, per AdWeek.
Beyond acting and music, Justin has become a keynote speaker and confidence coach, drawing on lessons learned throughout his career.
Justin Guarini Opens Up About His New Book
The former reality television contestant has shared those experiences in his new self-help book, “Center Stage Confidence: How to Own Your Story and Command Any Room,” released Tuesday, October 6.
Rather than encouraging people to eliminate fear, Justin wants readers to understand that confidence can exist alongside uncertainty.
“When I wrote Center Stage Confidence, when we think about confidence, confidence is, to me, trusting that you can move forward even though you feel the fear, even though you feel the uncertainty, and knowing that you can handle the outcome, whatever’s going to happen,” he told People.
The book also features insights from Michael Bublé, Jordan Fisher and Amber Ruffin, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
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‘American Idol’ Alum Justin Guarini Shares Emotional Confession 24 Years After Losing to Kelly Clarkson