Could Michelle Williams win a Grammy before an Oscar?
Fans who have listened to the audiobook of Britney Spears memoir “The Woman in Me” think it’s possible. Her all-in narration, which includes a segment where she quotes Spears’ ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake trying to sound like hip-hop royalty, just might speed Williams along in her path to an EGOT — the acronym given the accomplishment of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award.
Williams’ name was trending on X on Tuesday as the tell-all memoir from the pop star was released in book and audiobook formats.
“Give Michelle Williams her Oscar for narrating #TheWomanInMe” by entertainment editor Dana Abercrombie and “Five time academy award nominee michelle williams saying ‘fo-shiz fo-shiz what’s up homie!’ is art” by Australia-based journalist @joshcharles_21 were just a few of the more than 3,700 posts on X about the audiobook.
It won’t earn the five-time Oscar nominee another nod from the Film Academy, but it could mean her first Grammy nomination, where it would be eligible in the Spoken Word category.
In one much-shared audio excerpt, Willams reads, “[Timberlake]’s band NSYNC was what people back then called ‘so pimp.’ They were white boys, but they loved hip-hop… Sometimes I thought they tried too hard to fit in [with Black rappers].”
Several X users particularly zeroed in on the moment where Williams imitates Timberlake’s “blaccent,” where he allegedly greeted rapper Ginuwine with, “Oh yeah, fo shiz, fo shiz! Ginuwine! What’s up, homie?”
“Nailing the mockery of Justin Timberlake like this suggests she’s a 15/10 sarcastic mimic,” wrote former Wall St. Journal writer Heidi N. Moore on X.
While many loved the former “Dawson Creek” star’s readings, several thought that another Michelle Williams, the former “Destiny’s Child” singer, had gotten the job instead — or that maybe Spears was confused and hired the wrong celebrity.
Among the people who’ve won a Grammy in the Spoken Word category are John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Joan Baez, George Takei and Carrie Fisher. Williams already has an Emmy for playing Gwen Verdon in “Fosse/Verdon.”
This is how you get the EGOT
— Brian Van Nieuwenhoven (@BrVannieu) October 24, 2023
