Lily-Rose Depp reveals who inspired her for ‘The Idol’

The Weeknd’s ‘The Idol’ series is set to premiere next month after it was previously reported that the future of the series was in question.

The series marks The Weeknd’s acting debut in the world of television, alongside Lily-Rose Depp.

The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, plays charismatic cult leader Tedros, with Depp playing the up-and-coming pop star and Tedros’ love interest, Jocelyn.

In order to prepare for her role, Depp reveals the real-life pop stars who influenced her portrayal of Jocelyn.

The pop stars who inspired Jocelyn

In a recent W Magazine interview, Depp revealed that Jocelyn’s closest real-life twin is “probably Britney Spears.”

“Of course I’m a Britney Spears fan!” Depp exclaimed, while also pointing out that she took inspiration from femme fatales, such as Sharon Stone’s Catherine Tramell from ‘Basic Instinct’ and Jeanne Moreau’s Catherine in ‘Jules and Jim’.

“Who doesn’t love Britney? But I was also thinking about Beyoncé, Mariah, and every huge pop star of our time. I wanted Jocelyn to be the kind of woman who can dominate a room, someone who doesn’t ever shy away from their sparkle.”

Depp’s Jocelyn in fact, wants to do much more than that. One of the pop star’s biggest goals is to become the “greatest and sexiest pop star in America”, a goal which is only exacerbated by Tedros’ influence in her life.

The official synopsis of the show asks viewers, “Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?”

The latest trailer finds Jocelyn exploring exactly what it means to be the next “nasty, nasty, bad pop girl.”

Depp had to prove her singing skills

Part of the audition process required actresses to demonstrate their singing chops, an area Depp wasn’t feeling very confident in.

“I thought, ‘Here’s where I don’t get called back’,” she recalled of the auditions, where she sang a minute of Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’.

“I was going through the casting tapes, and Lily-Rose immediately stood out,” said Ashley Levinson, wife of ‘Euphora’ creator Sam Levinson. Ashley works with her husband on ‘The Idol’ as an executive producer.

“She had the kind of vulnerability and strength that was crucial for the character.”

Tedros and Jocelyn’s “dangerous” chemistry

“Abel is so warm and friendly, but I was very nervous about the chemistry read because I really wanted the part. Like all my favorite on-screen couples, Jocelyn and Tedros complemented each other in the most dangerous way. They had that push-and-pull connection,” Depp said of the romance between the two main characters.

And once she got the part, she decided to dye her hair to channel sex symbols such as Brigitte Bardot, who she believed gave off a “beauty mixed with an ‘I don’t give a f—’ energy.”

“As a blonde, Jocelyn could be good; she could be evil. You never know.”

‘The Idol’ premieres Sunday, June 4, 2023, on HBO.