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Jesse McCartney chatted in his dressing room about All My Children, touring w/ NKOTB, & Departure: Recharged.

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You know him as pop superstar Jesse McCartney, the platinum-selling, world-touring artist that sings some of your favorite songs like “Leavin’” and “Beautiful Soul.” But my Mom will always identify him as “Adam Chamdler Jr.” from the ABC soap opera All My Children.

“I was nominated in ’99 and 2000,” McCartney recalled, as he received a nod in both years for a Daytime Emmy Award. “I can’t even believe how long ago that was.”

Certainly much changed for McCartney since. While he still acts, his current full-time job is singer/songwriter/performer. McCartney’s latest LP, Departure, sold over a quarter of a million copies. This past April, Hollywood Records re-released the record as Departure: Recharged, featuring four new songs, including the remix of “How Do You Sleep?” featuring Ludacris.

“It’s part two of the album, or just an extended version,” Jesse explained. “One of the songs is actually the next single, its called ‘Body Language’ and I just got official word today that we’re releasing it in a couple weeks with T-Pain.”

First he collaborated with producer Tricky Stewart, then Ludacris, and now T-Pain. McCartney certainly aimed for and achieved a much more rhythmic sound, similar to what New Kids On The Block went for with The Block. In addition to extending the run of Departure, McCartney extended his summer schedule at the last second, accepting an invitation from NKOTB to join them on tour.

“They called literally two weeks before the tour,” he revealed. “It’s gonna be another month and a half of touring.”

McCartney maintains such a busy schedule that he didn’t even meet the entire headlining act until about 4 dates in to the trek. Jesse’s mad dashing from the stage to prior commitments even prompted tour-mate Danny Wood of NKOTB to wonder what was up. But when I spoke with McCartney last Wednesday, he noted that during the upcoming off day, he looked forward to “kicking it” with the guys.

The former Dream Street singer will finish out the “Full Service” tour, then begin work on The Gonzo Files, which begins filming at the end of this month in Brooklyn. Bryan Goluboff, who wrote The Basketball Diaries, wrote and will direct the movie.

“I’m gonna do a lot more film stuff at the end of the album, at the end of this run,” McCartney noted – although with the release of another single imminent, the end may not arrive until the end of the year.

Regardless of whether he’s on camera or on stage, McCartney will be making money doing what he loves. He might even find sometime to live like the average 22 year old. While chatting in his dress room, McCartney recalled a time he partied at my alma mater, Syracuse University.

“I did go to a frat party in Syracuse at one point, like four years ago,” McCartney admitted. “It was fun.”

Adam Chandler Jr. has come a long way.