His fans know him by his stage name The Weeknd, but Abel Tesfaye goes by his real name on the cover of Interview Magazine’s Spring 2023 issue.
The Canadian singer-songwriter opened up about “creating a character” to promote his new HBO drama series The Idol, which has already been riddled with controversy and one report has called “torture porn.”
Abel, 33, plays a sinister cult leader type Tedros on the show and spoke about the similarities between acting and performing.
“What got me into playing him was just pretending to be someone else. It was challenging because The Weeknd is obviously not me,” he admitted.
“But I drew a lot from myself to create this character. Tedros is not like me,” he said.
The ‘Blinding Lights’ star caught up with playwright Jeremy O. Harris for an in-depth interview, during which they discussed various aspects of the former’s upcoming TV series.
‘The Weeknd’s obviously not me’: Abel Tesfaye uses his REAL NAME to promote Interview Magazine’s controversial new show ‘The Idol’ and admits he’s ‘always been kind of provocative’
The pop star, who was recently spotted with girlfriend Simi Khadra during a night on the town, seemed to address the show’s controversy immediately.
“I was condemned from the start. My stuff has always been kind of provocative…” he explained.
Adding, “As an artist you have to know that you can’t please everyone and you have to accept that it’s part of the job.”
The singer, who wore a buttoned leather jacket and matching pants on the cover of Interview, then opened up about trying to humanize his character, a guru and cult leader named Tedros.
“Vulnerability is key to the characters you play, no matter how evil they are. When you find the vulnerability in them, they kind of become sympathetic,” he said.
The Weeknd, born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, went on to talk about how much he enjoyed working alongside his co-star Lily-Rose Depp and the program’s co-creator Sam Levinson.
“We both just have to be free and vulnerable because we had a great leader. We had someone to make sure we were comfortable and safe… so kudos to Sam and the whole crew,” he said.
The Earned It signee also stated that he is aware of the rumors surrounding the production of his upcoming show and that he is concerned about their impact on the program’s crew.
“What I’m learning about the movie business is that when people spread rumors, it really hurts a lot of other people. A lot of people are working hard on these projects,” he said.
Speaking up: The 33-year-old actor sat down for a chat with playwright Jeremy O. Harris for a wide-ranging interview in which they discussed several aspects of the former’s upcoming television series, The Idol
Fond memories: The Weeknd, née Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, went on to talk about how much he enjoyed working alongside his co-star Lily-Rose Depp and the program’s co-creator Sam Levinson
Grateful: The Weeknd went on to say he’s grateful for the efforts of The Idol’s crew
He added, “When I’m in my world and you guys come at me, it’s like, alright, cool. i am a big boy I can find out. But you have 200 people working hard on a project like this, it hurts. Especially when what they say is far from the truth.”
The Weeknd went on to say he’s grateful for the efforts of The Idol’s crew.
“It was a beautiful set and I’m really grateful to everyone who was involved in it… everyone was so respectful,” he said.
The performer also noted that the upcoming project has a musical component as well.
“There’s a whole album. I’m not afraid to make music. It just adds another element to my already crowded schedule,” he said.
The Weeknd previously confirmed he would be working on a TV show for HBO Max in June 2021.
It was subsequently revealed that Depp had signed on to be the show’s female lead in September.
The Idol centers on an aspiring pop star who becomes involved with a self-help figure who also leads a cult.
Big plans: The performer also noted that the upcoming project also has a musical component
In addition to starring in the program, the cast includes the likes of Troye Sivan, Hari Nef and Eli Roth, and Anne Heche.
Physical production of the project initially began in November 2021 in Los Angeles.
However, it was later reported that the show underwent significant re-recordings that lasted well into 2022.
The idol is set to premiere out of competition at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, which begins next month.
Almost there: The Idol is slated to premiere out of competition at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, which begins next month