In the tragic dumpster fire that The Idol was, Lily-Rose Depp was the only saving grace, and Sharon Stone is responsible for that. The HBO show from its very beginning, thanks to the damning Rolling Stone expose, has garnered significant negative attention. Although most of the show was deemed insufferable by the audience, Abel Tesfaye’s rat tail guy being the topmost reason on the list, Johnny Depp’s daughter was surprisingly pleasant.
Lily-Rose Depp plays the part of a pop star icon named Jocelyn who is getting ready for a comeback in the music industry following a brief hiatus due to her mother’s passing. Portraying a tormented artist is no easy task, but Depp appears to have grasped the essence of the character effortlessly. When questioned about the influences behind her performance by Entertainment Tonight, Depp disclosed that Sharon Stone played a significant role in shaping her interpretation.
Lily-Rose Depp’s Inspiration Behind Jocelyn Was Sharon Stone
Although many argued the inspiration for the show was drawn from Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd’s ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez or Britney Spears, turns out, it wasn’t molded after a specific person in mind, rather, a mix and match of different personalities and characters throughout the years, both real and fictional. One among them was Sharon Stone, as Lily-Rose Depp revealed in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, Stone’s performance in Basic Instinct was one of the inspirations behind the character and helped her bring the character to life. She said,
“We actually drew from a lot of other influences that are not pop stars,–We thought a lot about Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct and the Gene Tierneys and Lauren Bacalls… all of these women that were very inspiring to me for the role.”
As the show unfolds, it becomes apparent that Jocelyn, the character initially perceived as innocent, harbors a darker side. Drawing inspiration from Sharon Stone’s enigmatic character in Basic Instinct, Depp was able to tap into that dark side. Despite the script being underwhelming, Depp remained dedicated and delivered an authentic performance that garnered praise from audiences and critics alike.
The Controversies Surrounding The Idol
The Idol has made the headlines for a number of reasons in the past few weeks. From Sam Levison coming on board and ‘Elon Musking’ the story and production as if it were Twitter to the excessive nudity and uncomfortable-to-watch scenes showcased on the extremely slow-paced five-episode series, it was not good. In addition to that the involvement of the singer The Weeknd, made things a lot worse, but it also lead many people to speculate if the character Jocelyn was modeled after his ex Selena Gomez.
The striking similarities between the two became apparent to many viewers, particularly in the opening scene of the series featuring a controversial hospital wristband photo shoot. This scene drew immediate comparisons to a past incident involving Selena Gomez, which resulted in heavy backlash. But the actress quickly cleared up the air and stated,
“Of course, there are so many incredible pop stars of today that I have nothing but admiration and respect for — and of course, you can’t help but thinking of when you think of a character like Jocelyn — but we’re definitely not telling anybody else’s story or trying to base her on any real person,”
In addition to that many believe the show failed in execution, although shot brilliantly, the story catering to the male gaze is what resulted in such a catastrophic disaster.
Despite Lily-Rose Depp’s attempt to address the fans’ skepticism by revealing her eclectic sources of inspiration, which included fragments of iconic portrayals by Sharon Stone, Gene Tierney, Lauren Bacall, and other influential figures, the situation did not improve. Unfortunately, the show continues to hold the position of being one of the most detested series to date.
Source: Entertainment Tonight
