Blackpink’s Jennie opens up about working with Lily Rose-Depp on The Idol

Blackpink’s Jennie Kim spoke about her experience working with Lily Rose-Depp on the forthcoming HBO series The Idol.

The 27-year-old singer who is set to make her acting debut with the show, directed by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, said that working on the set “definitely was a challenge” for her.

“It definitely was a challenge, because I’ve never experienced anything like that before. It was like breaking a wall for me,” she told Women’s Wear Daily .

“[Rose-Depp] really helped me a lot,” Jennie added. “Telling me about scenes, and it was very comforting to have her there.

“She just taught me to express myself and be comfortable with myself, to not be scared.”

Jennie also spoke about why she decided to star in The Idol.

“I trusted Sam [Levinson] to be collaborative with all the scenes that we would be working on together, because it was about the industry,” she said.

“The fact that it was about the music industry fascinated me, and I thought I could bring something to the role,” she added.

“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 Idol stars Rose-Depp as a troubled popstar on the rise who falls prey to a cult leader, played by musician Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd.

In March, the controversial drama was the subject of a Rolling Stone investigation that cited 13 unnamed sources from the production, who described chaotic set conditions and sex scenes that made them uncomfortable. One source called the production a “s*** show”.

The Idol received a five-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival last week. Soon after, film critics shared their first reviews of the show on social media.

New York Times’s Kyle Buchanan wrote: “The Idol, or 50 SHADES OF TESFAYE: A Pornhub-homepage odyssey starring Lily-Rose Depp’s areolas and The Weeknd’s greasy rat tail.

“Love that this will help launch the HBO Max rebrand, should slot nicely next to House Hunters!”

“Levinson’s worldview seems corrupt,” said Variety’s Peter Debruge.

“It shouldn’t take degradation and suffering to make Jocelyn stronger. Euphoria audiences won’t be too surprised by the shameful way he treats Depp’s character, as both she and the show appear trapped under The Weeknd’s thumb.”

The Idol premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW on 5 June in the UK, and lands on HBO and Max on 4 June in the US.