Taryn Manning:
It takes more than one spotlight to satisfy this star

Eminem may have bad-mouthed a former flame played by Taryn Manning in 8 Mile, but the real Slim Shady liked her band, Boomkat, so much that he put one of its songs on the soundtrack. "I felt he was a kindred spirit," says Taryn, who sings for the soulful trip-hop duo, while her brother Kellin arrange s the music. "People call me a triple threat because I act, dance and sing. My dad was a singer and a keyboard player, and people used to call him the funkiest white man on the planet." Taryn turned heads as Britney Spears's pal in Crossroads and can next be seen playing a mountain woman in Cold Mountain. Making movies and promoting an album, Boomkatalog One, doesn't leave much time fo r dating, but Taryn says she prefers guys outside showbiz. "With actors, I feel like I'm fighting for the mirror," she says. "I never had an on-set romance, but I would have with Eminem. Brittany Murphy got him first." Taryn confesses that being fired from a movie inspired her to start writing music. " That just fueled me," she says. "My definition of success is to have fans who are really into our lyrics-maybe they put Boomkat on to get through a difficult time. I want people to know that singing is truly my calling."