Jessica Biel's Son Makes Feature Debut in Matchbox, in a Very Small Part
Silas Timberlake, the 11-year-old son of Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, has made his feature film debut in Matchbox: The Movie, the Apple TV+ action-adventure starring his mother. The Hollywood Reporter Silas appears at the end of the film, and his mother says the part is very small.
Biel talked about her son's acting interest on The Great Chat Show, hosted by Josh Smith. Producer Jules Daly asked her whether Silas would be interested in a small role in the film. Biel described it as "a teeny tiny part," not a big speaking role.
She was clear that the part was not handed over. Biel said she would not have let Silas take a role with a big monologue, and that he would have had to earn that kind of part. "You can't just take a part from that person just because you're my son," she told him. She added: "We're not starting like, oh, you just get handed a bunch of opportunities because you're part of this family."
Biel said his first day on the set involved no work at all, and that it upset him. It also taught him something about the job. Actors, she said, can sit for 12 hours waiting to be called in.
The family has been close to the production for some time. Earlier in October, Biel's sons visited the set, according to People. Justin Timberlake and the couple's sons also helped Biel with training sessions for the role, People reported. Silas was also worried about one scene in particular, a green dress moment, Biel told People.
Matchbox: The Movie is Biel's first film in more than nine years, People reported. She and Timberlake married in 2012. Their first son, Silas, was born in 2015, and their second child, Phineas, arrived in 2020.
Silas's full name is Silas Randall Timberlake, according to USA Today.
For a family with famous names, Biel's version of the story is a lesson in ordinary set life. A small part, a long wait, and a clear rule about earning the work. Silas's on-screen moment is brief, but his mother says it came with the same rules as everyone else's.
