The Idol star Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye has gone into detail about his goal with the HBO series and its approach to examining fame.
What did The Weeknd say was the goal of The Idol?
While speaking with Variety, Tesfaye was asked if working on the series has made him reexamine the idea of fame or if it’s made him feel any different about it. The musician and actor noted that making people reassess fame was his goal with the series, as well as showing that fame makes you never sure of what someone’s true intentions are.
“Well, my goal was for people to feel that way when they watch it, you know, and that they’ll reassess [fame],” Tesfaye explained. “It’s almost educational, that this is what comes with being incredibly famous. You’re surrounded by people who you’re not sure what their true intentions are, even if it seems like they’re good. You just never know. But of course, I’ve been very fortunate to have people around me that I’ve known almost my entire life, which is important, and is a gift.
“Nothing is worse than a yes-man, especially when you have a bunch of yes-men around you. And when you see a character like Nikki [Katz, Jocelyn’s hard-edged record-label executive], who’s not a yes-man, she might seem like a bad person, but then you kind of like her for being honest. So it’s a very complicated situation for Jocelyn.”
The Idol is co-created by Tesfaye, Reza Fahim, and Euphoria’s Sam Levinson. The ensemble cast features Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Jane Adams, Rachel Sennott, Hari Nef, Moses Sumney, Jennie Ruby Jane, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Ramsey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Hank Azaria.
After a splashy premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, The Idol received many negative reviews, with most critics panning the series. The sexual content and overall themes of The Idol have been the driving factors behind the criticism.
Tesfaye, Fahim, and Levinson executive produce alongside Joe Epstein, Ashley Levinson, Nick Hall, Kevin Turen, Aaron Gilbert, and Sara E. White. The Idol is an A24 production.
