Biography for
Justin Guarini More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

28 October 1978, Columbus, Georgia, USA

Birth Name

Justin Eldrin Bell

Nickname

JGuar

Height

6' 0½" (1.84 m)

Mini Biography

Justin Guarini was born in Columbus, Georgia, on October 28, 1978.

Dad Eldrin Bell is a former Atlanta police chief,now 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 - eight 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 high school acquaintance was 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 and 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 married hometown sweetheart Reina Capodici September 26, 2009 with vows including step-daughter, Lola.

In 2010 and 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.

Son, William Neko Bell was born April 26, 2011.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Reina Capodici

(26 September 2009 - present) 2 children

Trade Mark

Smooth, soulful voice and big, curly hair [cut in 2010 for auditions]

Trivia

Dad Eldrin Bell is a former Atlanta police chief.

Stepfather Jerry Guarini is a retired physicist.

Mom Kathy is a former TV journalist and his dad, Eldrin Bell, is first cousins with Samuel L. Jackson's wife, LaTanya Richardson.

Justin graduated from Central Bucks East High School.

Justin Guarini attended acting school at the School for Film & Television in NYC in 1999-2000. His classmate was Scott Holroyd, who now plays Paul Ryan on "As the World Turns" (1956).

He went to Junior High School with Pink.

Before he was a singer, he worked at Cutting Edge Entertainment, specializing in singers, entertainers, weddings, bar mitzvahs and other gatherings.

Began singing at age 4.

Job at ADT Security Systems in youth.

Attended the University of Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Attended the School for Film and TV in New York City, New York.

His first group was the Atlanta Boys Choir.

Performed with the Acapella group, Midnight Voices during high school.

From TV Guide (Dec. 18, 2005): "Dancing With The Stars": "Dancing's finale scores the biggest audience for a summer show since the Justin and Kelly matchup on Idol".

Justin is proud to be a step-parent to his wife's daughter Lola, who was born in 2005.

Justin's new wife, Reina is Syrian and Italian, while Justin is African American and Italian.

Justin proposed to his wife in December, 2008. He was at Disney's Epcot Center filming "hosting clips" for the "American Idol Experience" ride. After the show, he proposed to Reina in a little private grotto right after a fireworks show.

Justin and his wife Reina have known each other since attending high school in Doylestown, PA. Although she was fifteen when they first met, they did not begin a relationship until 2007. Reina's mother was Justin's English teacher in high school.

He and wife Reina welcomed a baby boy named William Neko Bell Guarini, around 6:30am on Tuesday April 26, 2011.

Personal Quotes

[on his ethnic background] Half-Italian, half-African-American, and English and Irish thrown in there somewhere.

A child's day is too often filled with mind-numbing facts solely designed for the next high-stake test, and not life application. An arts education is imperative to our children's growth and well being, and is proved to have a direct and positive effect on all other forms of reasoning.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it's salvation, not a train coming at me.

I've traveled all over the world but I found the woman I love right in my own backyard

I'd be completely lost without music, and bursting with emotions that I couldn't comprehend or control.

Where Are They Now

(December 2005) Completed a jazz album, "Stranger Things Have Happened" which was released Dec. 6, 2005.

(August 2006) In the studio working on his third album while he also told fans about his plans to create a clothing line, a book and a new show.

(December 2006) Justin is currently in studio recording his third album - soul, funk, r&b, jazz with a sprinkle of hip hop - and is filming an indie film, Fast Girl, a romantic comedy directed by Daniel Zirilli to be released in spring 2007, in which he will appear as a race car driver.

(January 2007) Hired by TVG as host and red carpet correspondent for Idol Tonight, Idol Chat and other programming.

(August 2008) Still broadcasting "The Justin Guarini Show" on Blog Talk Radio and getting ready to launch "The Justin Guarini Show" on BlogTV - recently returned from a USO Tour in Afghanistan/Qatar.

(January 2009) Comcast's FancastNews - video blogs (vlogs) reporting on AI8.

(February 2009) Disney's American Idol Experience - featured in ongoing welcome video to audiences for AI Experience

(March 2009) The Awakening of Angel DeLuna - new musical; industry reading at Manhattan's Theater 80

(October 2009) Concert with Drivetime jazz group at Sellersville Theater in Philly area; Education Through Music-Los Angeles 4th Annual Benefit Gala with Johnny Mathis and jazz notables at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood.

(September 2009) Married to hometown sweetheart Reina Capodici on the 26th.

(June 2008) Series of summer concerts.

(June 2009) Sketched Out TV comedy begins.

(April 2010) Working for TV Guide Network, Disney and working on new album.

(April 2010) Broadway auditions and writing and recording new album.

(March 2010) Writing a new album.

(July 2010) Preparing for his role as the doctor is the upcoming movie "Mafioso II (2011).

(August 2010) Cast as "Carlos" in the new Broadway musical, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"; previews in October; opens November 4 at the newly refurbished, historically-significant Belasco Theater on Broadway.

(February 2011) After his Broadway debut as "Carlos" in "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" Justin embarked on an almost 2 month run as "Will" in Green Day's American Idiot on Broadway, thereafter being cast as "Roger" in LBI's Surflight Theatre's production of "Rent" which ended in June and thereafter advanced to interpreting "Priest" in the staged reading of Bill T. Jones' "Superfly" in New York during late summer; he then landed the role of "Billy Flynn" in "Chicago" at Philadelphia's The Media Theatre of Performing Arts in the fall of 2011.