THE American singing sensation-turned actress Britney Spears has landed a cameo part in the next Austin Powers film, it was revealed yesterday.

The singer, aged 20, who made her acting debut in the current teen road movie Crossroads, will appear as herself in Austin Powers in Goldmember, which stars Mike Myers and Michael Caine.

The film, due for release in July, is the third James Bond spoof in the highly acclaimed Austin Powers series, directed by Jay Roach.

The singer’s name will add weight to a list of stars who have agreed to appear as themselves in the film, including Danny DeVito, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey. Caine will be playing Austin Powers’ father.

Both the previous films, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999 and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in 1997, were enormously successful on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the series Myers plays not only the hero, Austin Powers, but his nemesis, Dr Evil, and a Scottish character known as Fat Bastard.

In the latest film he will also take on the role of Goldmember.

Britney told the New York Post: 'It’s hard to keep a straight face with Mike. At one point it was me and mine against Mike and his - it became a battle of the dancers! It was all so West Side Story.'

Britney Spears began her career in a Broadway play at the tender age of eight.

With the release of her first album, Baby One More Time in early 1999, Britney became the first solo artist ever to have a number one debut album and single in the charts at the same time.

She sold 13 million copies of Baby and nine million of her next album, Oops! I Did It Again, released in May 2000.

In March 2000, Spears bought a seven-bedroom house in Charlton Kings, near Cheltenham, England.

Her relationship with the ’NSYNC singer Justin Timberlake came to an abrupt halt earlier this year. Another singer also has a role in Goldmember: Beyonce Knowles, a member of the group Destiny’s Child, plays 'Foxy Cleopatra'.

The presence in the movie of Knowles and Spears, who both have a huge pre-teen fan-base, has not thrilled everyone, however.

Thousands of people have signed an on-line petition imploring New Line Cinema to keep the singers off the screen.

'Due to their controversial celebrity status and marginal acting talent, we feel that they will be horrible additions to the Austin Powers cast', the petition reads.

Source : thescotsman.co.uk