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Justin Timberlake is a master of his craft. At least, he is according to Oprah Winfrey, who’s selected him to kick off tonight’s season four debut of her OWN show, Oprah’s Master Class.
The show usually features legendary or iconic figures talking about their long career. Later this season, for example, we’ll hear from Whoopi Goldberg, Lionel Richie, Sharon Stone, Billy Bob Thornton and Robin Roberts. At age 33, Justin seems to be a bit young for “icon” or “legend” status, but Oprah says that he’s unique among today’s celebrities, and that’s why she’s chosen him for the show.
“There is a level of self-awareness that is there [with Justin] that you don’t find in most people in their thirties,” Oprah explained recently during an appearance on the Oprah.com digital series #OWNSHOW. “He’s not just traveling through life as a superstar. He’s a real artist who is thoughtful about his place in the world and what it took for him to get there.”
“I think that there are lessons in his life — whether he’s talking about the band, his relationships [or] his influences — that can get other people to be more introspective about their own, which is the real purpose of Master Class,” Oprah continued. “A lot of people don’t understand the symbolism of what it means to be a celebrity. He both is one, and understands also how that affects other people.”
Advance clips released from the interview show that among the topics discussed are Justin’s journey from boy band member to solo artist, and the reason why he’s branched out so far beyond music.
“To be a master at something, it takes a long time at a high level. It really does, and for me the way to do that is to always be a beginner,” Justin explains in the interview. “If I’m not learning from something that I’m doing, then that means I’ve done it before…to try new things, that makes more sense to me than making a career out of doing the exact same thing over and over and over again.”
“I like being a beginner,” adds Justin. “I like the moment when I can look at everyone and say, ‘I have no idea how to do this. Let’s figure it out.'”
Oprah’s Master Class airs Sunday night at 10 p.m. ET.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio
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