In spite of rumors that The Idol was a really difficult set to work on, star Lily-Rose Depp said in a new interview that she and the rest of the cast had fun during production. That said, she did feel like she sometimes had to steer clear of co-star Abel Tesfaye (also known as The Weeknd), who would get into an intense “zone” while trying to get into character for some of the show’s more intense moments. The series, which hails from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, debuted to a dismal Rotten Tomatoes score earlier this week. While it was at 9% at first, the ratin has risen to a 25% rating — still not exactly great.
The Idol focuses on Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), an aspiring pop idol who, after having a nervous breakdown that causes her last tour to be canceled, resolves to reclaim her title as the sexiest pop star in America and begins a complex relationship with Tedros (Tesfaye), a self-help guru and the head of a contemporary cult.
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“I don’t think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds,” Depp told Entertainment Weekly. “Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don’t want to reveal too much about where Abel’s character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes, I would steer clear of him. I’d be like, ‘He’s in his zone right now.’”
“Abel came to us with a pitch,” Levinson recalled in a recent interview with W Magazine. “He said something that I’ll always remember: ‘If I wanted to start a cult, I could.’ What he meant is that his fans were so loyal and devoted that they would follow him anywhere. That was the germ of the idea for The Idol: what happens when a pop star falls for the wrong guy and no one speaks up.”
Tesfaye, who recently said that he planned to stop going by The Weeknd, and will make a final episode using that name before retiring the identity.
The series also stars Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Jennie Ruby Jane, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennott, Hari Nef, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Dean, Ramsey, and Hank Azaria.
The Idol is set to premiere on HBO on Sunday, June 4th, with episodes also streaming on Max. If you haven’t signed up for Max yet, you can do so here.
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