The Weeknd’s HBO series, The Idol, has been garnering widespread praise, and the musician-turned-actor is left astonished by the endorsement received from a Hollywood legend.
On Saturday (May 27), The Weeknd took to his Instagram stories to share a post from none other than Sharon Stone, the acclaimed actress of Basic Instinct. Stone praised the show, which features Lily-Rose Depp, and the “I Can’t Feel My Face” singer was thrilled to share her endorsement.
“I just watched the first two episodes of @theidol @lilyrose_depp & Abel (@theweeknd) r so sure footed,” Stone wrote. “#SamLevinson addresses the root of crisis in entertainment; Which comes first, the brilliance or the heartache?”
With just a single comment of “Wow,” The Weeknd reposted the story, expressing his astonishment.
According to Deadline, The Idol, following its recent world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, received a standing ovation lasting five minutes. Director Levinson, along with Depp and The Weeknd, were present to witness the momentous reception.
Nevertheless, the show has not been exempt from receiving significant criticism as well.
In a publication earlier this year, Rolling Stone released an exposé on The Idol, alleging that the production became chaotic after the original director Amy Seimetz left, describing it as a “shitshow.”
Thirteen cast and crew members were interviewed by the outlet, with one individual describing the series as “sexual torture porn.” Another said: “It was like any rape fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show — and then the woman comes back for more because it makes her music better.”
Shortly after the Rolling Stone article, The Weeknd, who co-created The Idol and has a prominent role in the series, responded on Twitter by sharing an exclusive clip from the show. In the clip, his character, Tedros, dismisses the publication as “irrelevant.”
One of the characters portrayed by Dan Levy informs Tedros and Jocelyn, played by The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp respectively, by saying, “Rolling Stone came back to us about a cover and I think it’s worth pursuing,”
In response, Tedros retorts, “Rolling Stone? Aren’t they a little… irrelevant?”
Adding to the conversation, Jocelyn chimes in, saying, “Yeah, I don’t know. I think it might be kinda past its prime, do you know what I mean?”
Continuing the discussion, Tedros declares, “Nobody cares about Rolling Stone” and claims most of their Instagram followers are bots.
The premiere of The Idol is set for June 4 on HBO.
