‘The Idol’ Creator Sam Levinson On Lily-Rose Depp’s Premiere Performance & How The HBO Series Casts “Skepticism” On Celebrities
deadline.comSPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Sunday’s premiere of HBO’s The Idol. The Idol is finally here.
HBO unveiled the first episode of the somewhat controversial series from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson on Sunday. The premiere, titled “Pop Tarts & Rat Tails,” introduces the audience to Lily-Rose Depp’s Jocelyn, a global superstar who is ready to make a comeback on tour after suffering a nervous breakdown.
The episode opens on a close up of Jocelyn’s face, as she receives directions from a photographer giving her cues for specific emotions from joyful to vulnerable to upset. “The first shot of the show, I think, tells you everything you need to know about Jocelyn, how gifted she is as a performer,” Levinson said in a segment about crafting the series, which aired after the episode. “She can laugh on cue, cry on cue.
You see how good this character is at manipulating us emotionally. What’s so brilliant about Lily’s performance is that despite the fact she tells you that up front, you forget how she’s able to deceive the audience.” The camera pans out, and we see that this is part of a photoshoot for her new album.
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