It was Jennie, a member of BLACKPINK, who personally decided to appear in the HBO drama “The Idol” as her debut acting project.
According to multiple entertainment insiders on June 7th, BLACKPINK Jennie received a direct offer to appear in “The Idol” from the show’s producer, American singer The Weeknd, and decided to join it herself. While some people speculate that Jennie’s agency, YG Entertainment, is responsible for this controversial appearance of Jennie, insiders revealed that Jennie’s decision to appear in the drama was solely based on her own intentions.
An insider stated to Ten Asia, “Jennie met The Weeknd in person and received the offer to appear in the drama. It is known that she expressed her desire to be a part of this project. She was aware of the role she would play and the parts she would act, and she also had something she wanted to express on her own.”
On the other hand, HBO’s “The Idol,” which was invited to the non-competitive section of the 76th Cannes Film Festival, garnered significant attention as Jennie’s acting debut. As a cast member of the series, Jennie walked on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet, attracting the interest of global fans.
Meanwhile, “The Idol” is set in the music industry of Los Angeles (LA) and tells the story of a popular female pop singer, her experiences in the industry, as well as love.
The drama stars The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny Depp) and also features famous stars such as Troye Sivan and Dan Levy. In “The Idol”, Jennie portrayed the role of Dyanne, a close friend and backup dancer for the main character, pop star Jocelyn.
However, after its premiere, “The Idol” received predominantly negative reviews. It was criticized for its explicit content, misogynistic portrayal, and male-centric sexual fantasies.
In the first episode of “The Idol”, Jennie only appeared for less than 10 minutes, where she portrayed sexy dance scenes and furrowed many eyebrows. There was barely any acting displayed, making it difficult to evaluate the BLACKPINK member’s acting attempt. Many even criticized Jennie’s dance with male dancers, claiming that the scenes “promote excessive sexual objectification of Asian women”.
Previously, during an interview with American media WWD, Jennie explained her decision to appear in “The Idol,” stating that she has been a fan of Sam Levinson’s work for a long time. She also showed her interest in the setting of the idol industry, and thought that she could bring something to her role as an idol herself.
“The fact that it was about the music industry fascinated me, and I thought I could bring something to the role. It was an opportunity to just be myself and be brave. I didn’t really train for it, or prep anything. Sam wanted me to just be myself”, the female idol also added.
Source: Ten Asia
