In The Idol, Abel The Weeknd Tesfaye Doesn’t Try To Woo You As Tedros

It would be wise to say a resounding “no” to the “no” spoken by empathy. abel tesfaye When I asked him if there is a sex scene in the second episode of Sculpture Must look “sexy”. HBO series in which Tesfaye Explanation TedrosA mysterious club owner trying to scam a pop star jocelyn ,lily-rose depp) in complete emotional distress, is only two weeks out and is already at the center of discussions and controversies. sex that fizzles out in the first episode’s two hours with sensuous asphyxiation and knife gameIs that very clear? Are these provocations an end in themselves? what is he really saying TesfayeThe creator and screenwriter of the series with his colleague Raza Faheem and the king of taunts Sam Levinson,

in the role of Tedros, Tesfaye seeks to present to the public a very different self-image than the person associated with it weekend, the musical alter-ego that revolutionized pop and R&B over the past decade. The haughty, flirtatious club manager – maybe the head of a cult? – may leave some viewers dumbfounded. The intention, as the artist describes it, is exactly that. The character’s details, from outward behavior to hidden motivations, will be revealed bit by bit, in what he himself describes as a “five-hour movie”. Tesfaye also says that he can’t pick his favorite scene and prefers to encourage the audience to experience the whole thing. gq Contacted him on phone in Copenhagen, where he is staying on his tour, to understand his point better.

gq: We have seen the first two episodes. What do you think about the reaction of the public and critics at this point?
weekend – i love it We definitely rocked the culture (laughs, We were conscious of creating something dark and controversial, but appropriate to the story we wanted to tell.

Do you think the audience is responding as expected?
I think discussion is a healthy thing in any case. Still, I’m glad you’re talking about it. It is important to everything I do and especially to the new medium in which I have begun to express myself.

tell me how you made Tedros, In the second episode, we understand that this is a character that will be revealed slowly, piece by piece.
This thing was important. It’s hard to try to explain who Tedros is without revealing too much or stripping away too many layers. We have tried to maintain the mystery of the character so that the audience gets to know him at the right time. Piece by piece, week by week, we’ll reveal who it is. In the end what you see on the screen is what happens. a challenge. He’s evil, a lunatic, why sweeten reality? Yet somehow it will work for this girl, even if it is a problem and we are sad to see it.

There’s an almost vampiric touch to certain scenes in your performance, even in how the character is framed.
Absolutely. Some of the scenes in Tedros have an aesthetically dangerous vibe…

As in the scene at Jocelyn’s gate in the first episode.
Yes, this is done intentionally, to elevate the campy level of the series. there’s really nothing mysterious or compelling about it Tedros, We worked on the look, the outfits, the hair – in the end he’s a loser. You immediately understand that he cares a lot about appearance and feeling beautiful. Then there are these harrowing moments where he’s on his own, rehearsing and just calculating. He is pathetic, he has nothing but the ability to pretend. This applies to many people who enter certain environments but are a fish out of water.

You look at Tedros and you see a cool calculator. Jocelyn could be his biggest catch. It is very clear. He can’t help himself, he thinks around Jocelyn’s mansion: Man, is this all true? this may turn out to be my best work, whatever he is doing. He is so greedy even in sex. Especially in the second episode. “Gola” is the only word that comes to mind to describe it. He can’t believe she’s there. Comes as a Dalit. These are the moments that show the human side of a psychopath, the crack in his armor.

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In the second episode, the sex scene created a lot of ruckus…
Oh yes. ,laughs,

How to explain it? I mean, at some point in the series the characters show up basic Instinct And we imagine it’s one of your inspirations. So we think maybe you’re trying to recreate that kind of cinematic erotica. Still talking to you now, it seems that this scene should not be seen as sexy…
No, there’s nothing sexy about it. if we take basic Instinct As a reference, we cite Verhoeven. Verhoeven is the king of the satirical thriller of the ’90s – yes, there are “sexy” moments in his films, but there are also other moments that are cheeky or comical. You might feel annoyed, disgusted, or embarrassed for the characters as you watch this scene. These are all feelings that lead to the same point: the man does not sit well with his head, this should not be the case.

In practice, is the viewer in a position to see all the nonsense coming out of his head?
,He laughs) Absolutely.

It’s hard to set the tone for a new series – it sounds like you’re trying to teach the audience how to watch each episode. But what exactly are you trying to say? Is it satire, camp, a mix of both with a touch of seriousness?
We love to play with emotions. We manipulate your reactions throughout the show. There’s no consistent tone, that’s intentional. No matter how dark a scene, you can always find irony in it. That’s why we love actors like Rachel Sennott, Hank Azaria, and Da’Vin (Joey Randolph). He is an incredibly talented comedian, able to change his tone at will within a single monologue. Like Jane Addams, who delivers a monologue at the beginning of the second episode that starts off as funny and turns into an explosive moment that’s terrifying. I don’t want to give too much away, but we love messing around with comedy. We’ll see better in the third episode. And then things change again… don’t get too fixated. This series logline could be: don’t relax too much looking at him,

You mentioned Tedros’ slim appearance. Where did the idea of ​​ponytail hair come from?
It comes from a mix of inspirations, it’s hard to attribute it to anyone in particular. You will learn more about the rat tail later.

you technically made your acting debut in the film rough diamonds, When you were preparing for your first real role, did you listen to the Safdie brothers?
I’ve always thought about the role rough diamonds like a cameo. It was a joke of The Weeknd’s character and anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy doing it. that same year I wrote an episode of american dad with Joel Hurwitz, in which The Weeknd revealed a burning secret: that she was a virgin. I mocked The Weeknd’s image. Together Sculpture We did something similar. It was more complicated in this series because I didn’t write it with that in mind. I tell the truth. However, over the years, Sam (Levinson) convinced me, and he had other cool ideas for the series. We got to a point where I realized that I could only play this role by being something other than myself. I had to distance myself from the character: I wanted to make sure he looked nothing like me and didn’t act like me. It must have been a completely different person. I had to completely exit the role of writer to focus on my acting work. I gave myself completely to the character. It was a challenge at first, as I am extremely protective of my work and I like to be in control of everything; So, it was really interesting to not be in control for once and let go. It took a while, but we finally got there and I’m glad you can see how it turned out.

Of the scenes you play, are there any in particular that you’re happy to show the audience?
Hmm, no. Complete series.

You called it a “five-hour movie”. How do you process people’s reactions to the individual parts without letting them know the full story and where it’s going?
The time difference is great, I try to watch the reactions to the broadcasts in real time but I’m half asleep when they start. I read after the whole day. But it’s hard because… I understand the Internet. I started on the Internet, my first song was born on YouTube. I understand the Internet very well, and it’s hard to be online all the time because there’s just too much of everything. I love when episodes come out, reading[reactions]but I try not to obsess too much.

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