Justin Guarini
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Justin Guarini was born in Columbus, Georgia, on October 28, 1978.
Dad Eldrin Bell is a former Atlanta police chief and Clayton County
(Ga.) Commission Chair. Chief Bell is first cousin to acclaimed actor
Samuel L. Jackson's wife, LaTonya.
Stepfather Jerry Guarini is a retired Navy physicist.
Mom Kathy is a former TV journalist and anchor at CNN and is now a
freelance broadcast journalist and Realtor in Doylestown. Then
president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, called in--from Airforce
One--his best wishes to Kathy Guarini, whom he knew from her CNN
association, upon hearing the news of Justin's birth. (Justin's
godparents are Prince Faisal and his former wife, Princess Azia of
Saudi Arabia.)
Raised in central Bucks County, Pennsylvania, by mom Kathy Pepino
Guarini and step dad Jerry Guarini, Justin was born in Columbus,
Georgia, where his mom was an anchor for the local 'Action 9 News' on
WTVM. Kathy also anchored news programs in Philadelphia and Atlanta
(CNN), where she met Justin's father, Eldrin Bell, who rose through the
ranks of the Atlanta police department to become its commissioner.
Justin was accepted into the Atlanta Boys Choir at four years old. The
Choir generally does not accept children under six years of age.
With a mother in the television industry, and a father always in the
public spotlight, Justin's drive to entertain came naturally. His
sister says that he imitated Michael Jackson's style and was known to
'moonwalk' around the house. His first concert was The Jacksons'
"Victory Tour." Justin met his idol, Stevie Wonder, at Quincy Jones'
birthday party held at Spago restaurant in LA on March 15, 2003.
Justin has a large family-- he has nineteen brothers and sisters! It
was reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that Eldrin has 13
children - nine of whom are adopted. Jerry reportedly has eight
children, including Justin.
At Lenape Middle School, Justin impressed Bucks County Music Festival
director Donald Dumpson - a professor at Westminster Choir College and
composer who has worked with notables like Patti LaBelle and Boyz II
Men - so thoroughly that he canceled the rest of the auditions.
Justin's solo at the festival, "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless
Child," won him a standing ovation.
Justin attended University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and School for
Film & Television, New York City (1999-2000). One of his classmates was
Scott Holroyd, formerly Paul Ryan on "As the World Turns." A middle
school acquaintance was fellow choir member at the time, pop singer
Pink.
In 1996, Justin helped to form an a Capella group with school friends.
"The Midnight Voices" was founded "to serenade their 'female friends'
the night before high school graduation," but the group went on to burn
a CD and take second at the 2000 Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella
Festival Mid-Atlantic Regional. The Midnight Voices CD can be
purchased. Profits are donated to a music scholarship fund at Central
Bucks East High School.
Justin directed amateur theater groups, including the Riverside Haunted
Woods (where he first began growing the famous curls) pre-AI days and
had the lead role in many musicals during high school and college
(Pirates of Penzance, Phantom of the Opera, Edwin Drood, etc.).
Immediately prior to American Idol, Justin was offered a seat in the
prestigious master class program in "The Lion King" on Broadway; he
auditioned for American Idol instead and couldn't take the offer from
Lion King when he became an AI finalist. Justin was nationally voted
runner-up on the debut season (2002) of "American Idol - The Search for
a Superstar", in which there had been over 10,000 to audition. Post AI,
he was given a standing offer to play the Emcee in "Cabaret" on
Broadway (instead, he was required by management to do CD/movie
promotion).
Justin has since appeared and/or performed on numerous TV programs
(most notably host of TVGuide Network's Idol Chat and Idol Tonight for
several years),other live venues and events and has had extensive media
coverage on entertainment news programs, news segments, and in magazine
and newspaper articles; he has also completed a jazz album and an
acoustic EP.
Justin is a strong believer in helping others and is a spokesperson of
Support Music Education. In 2006 he received the NAMM 'Music For Life'
Award for his support of music education. He has also helped raise
funds for Habitat For Humanity, Rockers on Broadway, Broadway's Kitchen
Sink, the Children's World Organization, the Foundation for Global
Harmony and donated items to a Little Kids Rock auction.
In 2011, Justin made his Broadway debut as "Carlos" in "Women on the
Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" followed by "Will" in "American Idiot" on
Broadway; "Roger" in "Rent" at Surflight Theatre on Jersey Shore;
staged reading as "Priest" in Bill T. Jones', "Superfly the Musical" in
New York; "Billy Flynn" in "Chicago" at The Media Theatre of Performing
Arts in Philadelphia; "Joseph" in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat" at The Muny; "Drake" in Stephen King's and John Mellencamp's
"Ghost Brothers of Darkland County" in Atlanta; as "Jake Laurents" in
"It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" at Bucks County Playhouse;
cast as "Paris" in "Romeo and Juliet" with Orlando Bloom on Broadway in
2013; and began as "Fiyero" male lead in "Wicked" on Broadway, February
2014. He continued his Broadway and theater career in 2015 with "Paint Your Wagon" an Encores presentation by New York City Center and "Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical" at Dallas Theatre Center; producer of Sideshow, Broadway, 2015; played "Trent" in Broadway's In Transit 2016; "Prince Charming" in Once Upon a One More Time on Broadway, May 13, 2023.
Justin is "Lil Sweet", Diet Dr. Pepper mascot.
Justin married hometown sweetheart Reina Capodici September 26, 2009 at
a Hudson River estate in Pennsylvania, with vows that included
step-daughter, Lola. Son, William Neko Bell Guarini was born April 26,
2011; Asher Orion Guarini was born February 25, 2013.
Dad Eldrin Bell is a former Atlanta police chief and Clayton County
(Ga.) Commission Chair. Chief Bell is first cousin to acclaimed actor
Samuel L. Jackson's wife, LaTonya.
Stepfather Jerry Guarini is a retired Navy physicist.
Mom Kathy is a former TV journalist and anchor at CNN and is now a
freelance broadcast journalist and Realtor in Doylestown. Then
president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, called in--from Airforce
One--his best wishes to Kathy Guarini, whom he knew from her CNN
association, upon hearing the news of Justin's birth. (Justin's
godparents are Prince Faisal and his former wife, Princess Azia of
Saudi Arabia.)
Raised in central Bucks County, Pennsylvania, by mom Kathy Pepino
Guarini and step dad Jerry Guarini, Justin was born in Columbus,
Georgia, where his mom was an anchor for the local 'Action 9 News' on
WTVM. Kathy also anchored news programs in Philadelphia and Atlanta
(CNN), where she met Justin's father, Eldrin Bell, who rose through the
ranks of the Atlanta police department to become its commissioner.
Justin was accepted into the Atlanta Boys Choir at four years old. The
Choir generally does not accept children under six years of age.
With a mother in the television industry, and a father always in the
public spotlight, Justin's drive to entertain came naturally. His
sister says that he imitated Michael Jackson's style and was known to
'moonwalk' around the house. His first concert was The Jacksons'
"Victory Tour." Justin met his idol, Stevie Wonder, at Quincy Jones'
birthday party held at Spago restaurant in LA on March 15, 2003.
Justin has a large family-- he has nineteen brothers and sisters! It
was reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that Eldrin has 13
children - nine of whom are adopted. Jerry reportedly has eight
children, including Justin.
At Lenape Middle School, Justin impressed Bucks County Music Festival
director Donald Dumpson - a professor at Westminster Choir College and
composer who has worked with notables like Patti LaBelle and Boyz II
Men - so thoroughly that he canceled the rest of the auditions.
Justin's solo at the festival, "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless
Child," won him a standing ovation.
Justin attended University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and School for
Film & Television, New York City (1999-2000). One of his classmates was
Scott Holroyd, formerly Paul Ryan on "As the World Turns." A middle
school acquaintance was fellow choir member at the time, pop singer
Pink.
In 1996, Justin helped to form an a Capella group with school friends.
"The Midnight Voices" was founded "to serenade their 'female friends'
the night before high school graduation," but the group went on to burn
a CD and take second at the 2000 Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella
Festival Mid-Atlantic Regional. The Midnight Voices CD can be
purchased. Profits are donated to a music scholarship fund at Central
Bucks East High School.
Justin directed amateur theater groups, including the Riverside Haunted
Woods (where he first began growing the famous curls) pre-AI days and
had the lead role in many musicals during high school and college
(Pirates of Penzance, Phantom of the Opera, Edwin Drood, etc.).
Immediately prior to American Idol, Justin was offered a seat in the
prestigious master class program in "The Lion King" on Broadway; he
auditioned for American Idol instead and couldn't take the offer from
Lion King when he became an AI finalist. Justin was nationally voted
runner-up on the debut season (2002) of "American Idol - The Search for
a Superstar", in which there had been over 10,000 to audition. Post AI,
he was given a standing offer to play the Emcee in "Cabaret" on
Broadway (instead, he was required by management to do CD/movie
promotion).
Justin has since appeared and/or performed on numerous TV programs
(most notably host of TVGuide Network's Idol Chat and Idol Tonight for
several years),other live venues and events and has had extensive media
coverage on entertainment news programs, news segments, and in magazine
and newspaper articles; he has also completed a jazz album and an
acoustic EP.
Justin is a strong believer in helping others and is a spokesperson of
Support Music Education. In 2006 he received the NAMM 'Music For Life'
Award for his support of music education. He has also helped raise
funds for Habitat For Humanity, Rockers on Broadway, Broadway's Kitchen
Sink, the Children's World Organization, the Foundation for Global
Harmony and donated items to a Little Kids Rock auction.
In 2011, Justin made his Broadway debut as "Carlos" in "Women on the
Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" followed by "Will" in "American Idiot" on
Broadway; "Roger" in "Rent" at Surflight Theatre on Jersey Shore;
staged reading as "Priest" in Bill T. Jones', "Superfly the Musical" in
New York; "Billy Flynn" in "Chicago" at The Media Theatre of Performing
Arts in Philadelphia; "Joseph" in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat" at The Muny; "Drake" in Stephen King's and John Mellencamp's
"Ghost Brothers of Darkland County" in Atlanta; as "Jake Laurents" in
"It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" at Bucks County Playhouse;
cast as "Paris" in "Romeo and Juliet" with Orlando Bloom on Broadway in
2013; and began as "Fiyero" male lead in "Wicked" on Broadway, February
2014. He continued his Broadway and theater career in 2015 with "Paint Your Wagon" an Encores presentation by New York City Center and "Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical" at Dallas Theatre Center; producer of Sideshow, Broadway, 2015; played "Trent" in Broadway's In Transit 2016; "Prince Charming" in Once Upon a One More Time on Broadway, May 13, 2023.
Justin is "Lil Sweet", Diet Dr. Pepper mascot.
Justin married hometown sweetheart Reina Capodici September 26, 2009 at
a Hudson River estate in Pennsylvania, with vows that included
step-daughter, Lola. Son, William Neko Bell Guarini was born April 26,
2011; Asher Orion Guarini was born February 25, 2013.