Jessica Biel’s 11-year-old son, Silas, makes a brief screen appearance in her new film “Matchbox: The Movie,” and the actress says she and husband Justin Timberlake are letting his interests develop at their own pace. Biel confirmed the cameo at the film’s New York premiere on Oct. 5. She told E! News that her son’s part, at the very end of the movie, is “really cute.” Apple TV began streaming the film, directed by Sam Hargrave, on Oct. 9.
The film marks Biel’s return to features. It is her first movie since the 2017 drama “Shock and Awe.” She plays Aimee, an EMT. John Cena, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro and Teyonah Parris co-star. Biel did much of the high-speed driving herself and said the stunts demanded more strength than she expected.
Silas’s interests extend beyond the screen. Biel said he likes music and works as a DJ, and that she and Timberlake plan to give him time and see what holds his attention. She told InStyle he is also a devoted tennis fan, and that she and Timberlake feel torn about encouraging his talent for acting.
The couple have kept their sons out of public view. The boys appear on their parents’ social media, but their faces stay hidden. Silas was born in April 2015, three years after the couple married. The cameo therefore stands as a rare moment of exposure, and a small one.
Younger brother Phineas, 6, visited the set too. Biel said he struggled to tell real from staged during a fight scene in which Cena got punched. Both boys admire Cena, and Biel joked that the film earned her some cool-mom points.
Hollywood has plenty of children who follow a parent into the business, and the early cameo is a common first step. Biel offered no sign of a plan. Her comments suggest a wait-and-see approach rather than a push toward a career, and she described the appearance as a family keepsake rather than an audition.
