In an adolescent movie scripted by Shonda Rhimes, Spears played the lead role.
In 2002's "Crossroads," the "Toxic" singer finally had the opportunity to showcase her acting prowess on a large screen. Along with Taryn Manning and Zoe Saldana, she portrayed childhood best friends who set out on a road trip after graduation.
Britney's only true leading role was in this movie. She portrayed Lucy, a young woman in this comedy who, after graduating from high school, had a serendipitous ambition of being a pop singer. Lucy sets off on a cross-country journey with her estranged childhood friends, Taryn Manning and Zoe Saldana, in order to assist her to navigate this pivotal time in her life. Dan Aykroyd, Kim Cattrall, Anson Mount, and Justin Long were also included in the movie as stars. It's interesting that Anson Mount, who at the time wasn't very well known, was reluctant to portray Britney's love interest opposite him.
Regardless, one of her strongest supporters convinced him to do it. In "City by the Sea," Mount co-starred alongside none other than the legendary Robert De Niro. De Niro was such a big fan of the Princess of Pop that he even practiced reading Britney's lines with his pal Anson. The only thing this proves is that talent always recognizes talent.
Shonda Rhimes, who later rose to prominence as one of TV's most prolific showrunners and wrote "Crossroads," is the author of popular shows including ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," and "How to Get Away With Murder." The singer's ballad "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman," which was featured in the movie and on her third album, "Britney," served as the inspiration for the initial working title of the movie, according to The Guardian. Although the movie received poor reviews from critics, it was a huge economic success because of Britney's devoted followers.
