Justin Timberlake Compares Fatherhood to The Matrix: 'You Open a Door and There's This Whole Other World'

Justin Timberlake has a pretty unique, yet relatable, view on what parenting feels like.

The singer and actor, who is dad to 15-month-old son Silas Randall with wife Jessica Biel, spoke on the DreamWorkspanel Thursday at San Diego Comic-Con about his work on the animated movie Trolls, as well as his experiences being a first-time father.

“[Having a child] gives you a different insight. It’s like The Matrix, man,” said Timberlake, 35, according to Variety.

“You open a door and there’s this whole other world on the other side of it,” the “Suit and Tie” crooner continued. “And you look back through the door at the other world and you’re like, ‘What was I doing there?’ ”

Albert L. Ortega/Getty

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Timberlake — who is also producing the film’s ’70s-inspired soundtrack, including penning original songs — noted that there are some big differences with how he prioritizes parts of his life now that he has a child.

“Maybe it’s the difference between 20s and 30s,” he mused. “The difference between ‘must achieve,’ and now it’s like, ‘Work smarter, not harder.’ You want to have time for your family.”

Between voice acting, lending his vocals to collaborative projects and working on a new album, Timberlake certainly has a lot on his plate. But his family comes first.

“Happy 4th of July, America! — The Timberlakes,” the Teen Choice 2016 Decade Award winner captioned a snap of Silas on the Fourth of July, holding up a mini American flag.

— Jen Juneau