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Chitty channels Federline in Lifetime’s unauthorized Britney biopic

COURTESY LIFETIME

Clayton Chitty takes on the task of playing Kevin Federline in the upcoming Lifetime movie “Britney Ever After,” a two-hour biopic that looks at Spears’ rise to fame, fall from grace and her return. Spears is portrayed by Australian actress Natasha Bassett.

Clayton Chitty takes on the task of playing Kevin Federline in the upcoming Lifetime movie “Britney Ever After,” a two-hour biopic that looks at Spears’ rise to fame, fall from grace and her return.

Spears is portrayed by Natasha Bassett, an Australian who appeared in “Camp,” “Rake” and “Hail, Caesar!”

Chitty is a Canadian actor who has made a handful of guest appearances including roles on “The Man in the High Castle,” “Arrow” and “Electric Woman and Dyna Girl.” He was only slightly familiar with Federline before getting the role.

“I knew of Kevin and Britney’s relationship and life a bit, mostly from what I had heard or seen on TV or the internet. I knew Kevin was a dancer and a rapper. To know Kevin beyond that didn’t come until researching the role,” Chitty says. “The Kevin I was playing is a guy wrapped up in a crazy famous love tornado. A guy trying to define himself and find his one voice while being in love with and dating one of the biggest pop stars in the world.”

The research meant Chitty had to channel his younger self when it came to how he dressed and the music. Watching the reality series “Britney & Kevin: Chaotic” was a big help.

He describes the cable movie as a combination tale of fame and a love story. It shows the passion Spears had for the men in her life and the music.

“Their lives were a fantasy and an escape for most people. People were already obsessed with Britney’s life and then along comes Kevin who is this ‘bad boy’ dancer. It was exciting to watch them together,” Chitty says. “Here is this backup dancer, trying to make it in his career. He meets and falls in love with Britney and they decide to record everything they did, propelling Kevin into fame by association.

“It also exposed who they really were as people.”

The actor says Canada doesn’t have anyone that compares to Federline but he’s trying to get the name “Clay Fed” to stick.

“Britney Ever After” airs at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 on Lifetime.

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