The highly anticipated HBO original series The Idol, from Emmy-nominated Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, is now streaming first on Showmax express from the US, with all new episodes released every Monday.
Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning pop star Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye stars alongside Lily-Rose Depp in her breakthrough lead role. Co-created by Levinson, The Weeknd, and Reza Fahim, this risqué drama series follows an aspiring pop idol on her journey to become the greatest and sexiest pop star in America.
Fresh from scandalising the Cannes Film Festival, the 18LSDN The Idol is currently the #13 Most Popular TV Series on IMDb, with The Guardian already calling it “2023’s most controversial show.”
The series brings viewers into the deep and dark world of pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp). After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s last tour, she is ready to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros, a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest, darkest, depths of her soul?
With the end of Succession, there’s a new contender that has entered the chat. Despite the mixed reactions from critics due to its sexual content, the show received a five-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival. Below, find out how to watch The Idol online, the ensemble cast, and who they portray in the series.
Where to watch The Idol in South Africa?
All the episodes for The Idol are available to stream on Showmax.
Meet the cast
Lily-Rose Depp
Lily-Rose Depp leads The Idol as the mega-star Jocelyn. A rising pop idol who tries to get her career back on track after experiencing a nervous breakdown during her previous tour. Whatever happened in the past, Jocelyn is determined to continue pushing forward, when she meets Tedros (Abel Tesfaye), a cult leader. The two spark an intense romance that may or may not lead Jocelyn down a rocky path.
Abel Tesfaye a.k.a “The Weekend”
Abel Tesfaye, widely known by his stage name The Weeknd, stars as Tedros. Tedros is a nightclub owner and heads a modern-day cult that brings Jocelyn into the fray when the pair begins a romantic relationship with each other. Despite their relationship going relatively okay, there’s no telling whether Tedros will ultimately help Jocelyn in the long run or be her downfall.
Widely recognized for his music as The Weeknd, the artist has several full-length albums and singles and has been featured on movie soundtracks along with his own albums, including those for Avatar: The Way of the Water and Black Panther. He also contributes to the soundtrack for The Idol.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Destiny is one of Jocelyn’s close friends and confidantes. Based on the first episode so far, it also seems like Destiny supports Jocelyn in her endeavors, offering words of encouragement to keep Jocelyn on track.
Jane Adams
Jane Adams as Nikki is another person in Jocelyn’s circle. Nikki is a record label executive who doesn’t seem to be fully on board with Jocelyn’s new rebranding. Despite her reservations, she continues to try and promote Jocelyn as best she can. Previously, Jane Adams has starred in several recognisable projects, most recently starring in Max’s original series Hacks.
Dan Levy as Jocelyn’s Publicist
Jocelyn’s publicist obviously is a major part of Jocelyn’s career. His only goal is to promote her in the most beneficial ways, including trying to land Jocelyn on major magazine covers. However, Tedros doesn’t always seem to agree with the character’s decisions. Whatever Tedros’ motives are, he seems to want to maintain control over Jocelyn’s image, causing quite a bit of clashing with her publicist.
While Dan Levy has many projects under his belt, he is best known for co-creating, executive producing, writing, and starring in the beloved Emmy-Award-winning sitcom Schitt’s Creek.
African excellence
Moses Sumney
Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter Moses Sumney plays Izaak, a member of Tedros’ cult who often time around Tedros and Jocelyn. Izaak is deeply loyal to Tedros, something that Tedros may very likely take advantage of. In the trailers, it also seems that Izaak has worked his way into Tedro’s closest circle of confidantes and befriended Jocelyn along the way. Sumney fits right into the series as a singer-songwriter, composer, and music video director. He has several singles, EPs, and a couple of full-length albums under his belt, including his 2020 release Græ.
Troye Sivan
South African-born singer Troye Sivan, who previously starred in Boy Erased, plays Xander. Since his first SAFTA-nominated lead role as John “Spud” Milton in the Spud trilogy, Sivan’s career has exploded, with over 18m listeners a month on Spotify, nearly eight million YouTube subscribers, MTV Europe Music Award and GLAAD Awards, and a Golden Globe nomination.
Who else is in The Idol?
Alongside the mentioned cast, the remainder of The Idol‘s cast includes a group of familiar and powerhouse names, many of whom are also appearing as part of Jocelyn’s team
Hank Azaria plays one of Jocelyn’s managers, Chaim. With a lengthy career under his belt, Azaria is best known for his voice work in The Simpsons.
Rachel Sennott plays Leia. Sennott recently commanded the spotlight in Bodies Bodies Bodies and will next star in Bottoms.
Suzanna Son (Red Rocket) plays Chloe.
Hari Nef, known for Assassination Nation and the recent Bad Things, plays Talia. Nef will next appear in the highly-anticipated Barbie movie.
Eli Roth (Inglourious Basterds), record producer Mike Dean, and singer Ramsey also star in the series.
Watch The Idol now on Showmax, new episodes land every Monday express from the US. Also, check out The creator of Euphoria Sam Levinson talking about the controversial new show here.
