The director of Britney Spears' 'Criminal' video wasn't "super stoked" on the idea of having Spears' real-life boyfriend play her onscreen lover.
Talking to MTV News, Chris Marrs Piliero confirmed that the idea to have Jason Trawick in the video was all Britney's and that he initially wanted the role to be played by an actor.
"When she first hit me up, she had a basic story in mind, and she actually always originally planned to have Jason, her boyfriend, play the role, and I wasn't super stoked on that idea at first, actually," Piliero said. "For me, it was a fun challenge to be like, 'I'm gonna make sure that you are awesome,' and he was."
As for Britney, the Crossroads actress left a lasting impression. "Of course, Britney was rad," he said. "She does a good job at nailing and doing the little acting thing. She's cool at it."