The Weekndis booked and busy as he gears up for a new series that’s in development at HBO.
The network announced on Wednesday that the “Blinding Lights” crooner, born Abel Tesfaye, will co-write, executive produce and star in an upcoming drama series titledThe Idol.
The show follows “a female pop singer [who] starts a romance with an enigmatic L.A. club owner who is the leader of a secret cult,” according to a press release from the network, which doesn’t detail the singer’s character or any additional casting news.
The Weeknd, 31, co-created the series alongsideEuphoriacreator Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim, The Weeknd’s producing partner. Joseph Epstein serves as the project’s showrunner.
Pari Dukovic
The Idolisn’t The Weeknd’s first stab at acting. In 2019, he played a fictionalized version of himself inAdam Sandler’s acclaimed crime drama,Uncut Gems. He additionally lent his voice to an animated version of himself onAmerican Dad!in 2020.
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He is also no stranger to adopting new personas with his music. For his 2020 record,After Hours, The Weeknd dressed in character during many public appearances. During hisSaturday Night Liveperformancelast March, he donned a bloodied face and a nose bandage — a look that resembled how he appeared in his “Blinding Lights” video.
That November, The Weeknd performed and accepted awards at the 2020 American Music Awards with his entire face wrapped in bandages. And for his “Save Your Tears” music video in January, hedebuted a faux plastic surgery-enhanced face.
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Ahead ofAfter Hours' release, The Weeknd opened up about the character he adopted.
“I feel confident with where I’m taking this record. There’s also a very committed vision and character being portrayed,” he toldCR Fashion Bookin March 2020. “And I get to explore a different side of me that my fans have never seen.”
source: people.com
