Twenty-year-old Kelly Clarkson and 23-year-old Justin Guarini were the final two competitors in the first season of American Idol more than twenty years ago. Of course, Clarkson eventually prevailed and rose to international recognition, but Guarini also enjoyed a brief period of prominence. In the film From Justin to Kelly, he co-starred with Clarkson, but their careers have since diverged.
With popular songs and, more recently, a chat show, American Song Contest winner AleXa on why she idolises Doja Cat Clarkson has continued to be in the public glare, but you may not have seen Guarini in as long as you might imagine. He still sings and acts, and has recently been seen in a well-known commercial. Continue reading to learn more about Justin Guarini’s activities during the past 20+ years.
Without realising it, you may have seen Guarini during the past few years. He portrays the character Lil Sweet in Diet Dr. Pepper ads, who sings the tagline “It’s the sweet one.”
Guarini claimed during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2020 that the commercial audition process was “He told himself, “You know what? the audition was one of the best I’ve ever had. This one will be enjoyable for me because I don’t care.” He consequently sang all of his lines in a high-pitched voice and was shocked when he was hired.
Guarini and Clarkson talked about their time on American Idol and how far they’ve come in the same interview. “Thank God there was so much more than that movie,” he added in reference to From Justin to Kelly. The two then discussed how they passed the several hours it needed to record a TV show in a 2023 visit on her show, with Guarini criticising Clarkson for her card-playing rivalry.
He has kept on putting out music.
In February 2018, Justin Guarini gave a performance at the Winter Gala at Lincoln Center.
After leaving American Idol, Guarini released two studio albums, Justin Guarini (2003) and Stranger Things Have Happened (2005), as well as two EPs, Revolve (2008) and JG (2016).
He has also performed extensively on Broadway.
2017 Tony Awards with Justin Guarini
In his post-Idol existence, Guarini has been in a variety of Broadway musicals and plays. He reportedly turned down a part in The Lion King to go on American Idol, but eight years later, in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, he finally made his Broadway debut. Since then, he has also appeared in the films Romeo and Juliet, American Idiot, and Wicked.
Guarini made his debut as a musical director in 2021. At Pace University, he collaborated with musical theatre students on the world premiere of the programme Next Big Hit. Additionally, he was familiar with the subject. The tale of Lara McDowell, the Season 4 winner of the nationally televised singing competition “America’s Next Big Hit,” and how she discovers that there is nowhere to hide in the shadows when you live in the spotlight are at the centre of the play, according to Broadway World.
Guarini also coaches actors on how to audition, including through his Instagram. He has written a book titled Audition Secrets.
He has three children and is married.
2023’s Justin Guarini performing on The Kelly Clarkson Show
In 2009, Guarini and Reina Capodici got hitched. In a post commemorating their wedding anniversary in 2021, he stated, “12 years of marriage and I feel like we’re just getting started.” “You are that person. You have been the one throughout. My Queen, you will always be the one. Happy anniversary, my love.”
William, age 11, and Asher, age 9, are the couple’s two children. He is also Lola Capodici’s stepfather from a prior union.
