Britney Spears reveals she turned down role in Chicago because she feared her obsessive method acting would make her ‘become a KILLER’ – as she admits struggle to shrug off Crossroads role drove Justin Timberlake insane

Britney Spears has revealed her obsession with method acting while filming Crossroads, which not only infuriated her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake but also left her too scared to take on the role of a killer in Chicago.

The Toxic hitmaker, 41, has opened up about her fixation with getting into the heads of characters in her new tell-all book The Woman In Me, admitting she was so consumed with playing Lucy Wagner in the coming -of-age from 2002. drama that she ‘no longer knew what was real’.

Britney, who played along Anson Mount, 50, Zoe Saldana45, Taryn Manning, 44, and Kim Cattrall67, revealed her struggle to let go of Lucy as filming wrapped and Justin asked, “Who are you?”

“This is embarrassing to say, but it’s like a cloud or something came over me and I became a girl called Lucy,” she said.

The Toxic hitmaker, 41, revealed in her tell-all memoir that she struggled to differentiate between her life and Lucy’s during filming

“When the camera turned on, I was her, and then I couldn’t tell the difference between when the camera was on and when it wasn’t.

“I know it seems stupid, but it’s the truth. I took it so seriously. I took it seriously to the point where Justin said, “Why are you walking like that? Who are you?”

“All I can say is that it’s a good thing Lucy was a sweet girl and wrote poems about how she was ‘not a girl, not yet a woman’, and not a serial killer.”

Britney and NSYNC singer Justin dated from 1999 to 2002, when he ended their relationship with a text message. She recently revealed that she had an abortion while they were together because he “wasn’t ready” to be a father when they were 19.

The singer said her fixation with method acting caused her to walk, talk and behave differently while filming the movie, labeling the process an “occupational hazard.”

“During the filming of Crossroads, I was someone else for months,” she continued. ‘To this day, I think the girls I shot that movie with think, “She’s a bit quirky…” If that’s what they thought, they were right…

‘I hope I never come close to that occupational hazard again.

Britney revealed that her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake was annoyed by her method acting

She dated the NSYNC singer between 1999 and 2002 – and recently revealed she had an abortion while they were together

Her impressive memoir, The Woman In Me, will be released on October 24

“Living like this, being half yourself and half a fictional character, is a mess. After a while you don’t know what’s real anymore.’

Britney wasn’t sure she wanted to return to acting after Crossroads, but admits she was tempted to return to the industry after being approached by executives to star in the 2002 film Chicago.

Of course, the pop star ultimately turned down a role in the award-winning film, which saw Renee Zellweger earn a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of murderous housewife Roxie Hart.

“Chicago would have been nice,” Britney wrote. ‘They’re all dance pieces – my favorite kind: prudish, girlish silliness, Pussycat Doll-esque, serve your corset moves.

‘I wish I had taken that offer. I could have played a bad guy who kills a man and also sings and dances.”

Expressing her regret, she added, “I probably could have found ways, gotten training, to avoid becoming a Chicago character like I was with Lucy in Crossroads.” I wish I had tried something else.”

Britney was unsure about returning to acting after Crossroads, but was seduced by Chicago

Renee Zellwegger received an Oscar nomination for her role as Roxie Hart in the 2002 film Chicago

Britney auditioned for the lead role opposite Ryan Gosling, 42, in The Notebook in 2002

While Britney has detailed her conflict over acting in her book, DailyMail.com exclusively obtained her audition for The Notebook, in which she read lines with Ryan Gosling.

The legendary audition tape, hidden for 20 years by Hollywood casting director Matthew Barry, revealed just how close the singer, who was 21 at the time, came to landing the lead role after putting on a stunningly emotional display during her screen test.

According to Matthew, she beat out a host of other hopefuls including Claire Danes, 44, Scarlett Johansson, 38, and Amy Adams, 49, to be the frontrunner for the role of Allie – before the film’s makers ultimately settled on Rachel. McAdams, now 44.

Recalling her screen test in her upcoming memoir, she said, “The casting for Notebook came down to me and Rachel McAdams, and while it would have been nice to reconnect with Ryan Gosling after our time on The Mickey Mouse Club, I’m I’m glad I didn’t do it.

“If I had done that, instead of working on my album In the Zone, I would have acted like a 1940s heiress day and night.”