Justin Guarini Reflects on 'American Idol,' New Role as Mentor

When I interviewed David Archuleta earlier this year, one of the focal points of the interview revolved around how Archuleta was able to sustain success in such a competitive industry. Beyond that, there are winners of American Idol that have not come close to matching his level of success. I was curious as to why that was.

Weeks ago, I was reminded of the 2003 film From Justin to Kelly, starring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, the winner and runner-up of the first season of American Idol, respectively. I wanted to know what Justin Guarini was up to. It turns out, after the release of two studio albums, Guarini has been hard at work both on Broadway and in the public speaking/entrepreneurial space. With all these ventures, I knew I had to try to get him on the phone.

Fortunately, I was! After chatting with the star, the first and most important thing I can say about Guarini is that he comes across as grateful. Genuinely so. Grateful for the opportunity to be interviewed by a small-time DJ in Dubuque. Grateful for his latest venture, which has taken him all over the world (including a conference in Las Vegas from which he phoned me). Grateful for his time on Idol. Grateful for the 30 million who watched that season and the millions more that voted for him week-after-week.

Guarini has done so much that the conversation never stalls. During our chat, he talked about his work on television, including everything from a voice on a children's show to playing "Lil' Sweet" in various Dr. Pepper ads for seven years. He talked about his time on American Idol, and the experience making his debut album, Justin Guarini, in 2003.

I had to ask Justin Guarini about his work on From Justin to Kelly. The internet will tell you it has an ignominious reputation. Guarini will tell you he gets asked about it constantly. In the 21 years since that film was released, he has seen several people of all ages approach him and relay fond memories of watching the film with their family.

Above all, Guarini is grateful that he got his start on a show that was family friendly. Something you could watch with your grandpa and little kids and not have to worry about anything inappropriate popping up. He's clearly nostalgic for that sort of communal experience that American Idol brings.

The show indeed remains a monolith in the culture, but with so much segmented entertainment facets in the world today, gone are the days when an episode of that (or any) show would pull those kinds of ratings and appeal to that large of a demographic.

Take a listen to my interview with Justin Guarini below, and see all he's been up to on his official website.