Lily-Rose Depp Says She 'Thought a Lot' About Sharon Stone in 'Basic Instinct' While Filming 'The Idol'
The actress, who stars opposite Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a. The Weeknd), also invoked a few classic Hollywood screen sirens for the controversial HBO series
Lily-Rose Depp is opening up about the icons who inspired her pop star persona on the upcoming HBO series The Idol.
"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," the 23-year-old actress told Entertainment Tonight.
Though her character wasn’t modeled after any specific person, Depp explained she drew from the example of another famously controversial performance.
"We actually drew from a lot of other influences that are not pop stars," she continued. "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."
Related: 'The Idol': Everything to Know About The Weeknd's Controversial HBO Series
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, who stars opposite of Depp, co-created the series with director Sam Levinson who is best known for his works Euphoria and Assassination Nation. The Idol, which has received reports of alleged creative clashes and toxic work environments, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this week.
Back in April, Depp praised Levinson's new direction for the series and his collaborative nature in a statement to PEOPLE.
"Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with," she said at the time. "Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued."
"Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every way — it matters to him, more than anything, not only what his actors think about the work, but how we feel performing it," she continued. "He hires people whose work he esteems and has always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard, and appreciated."
Elsewhere in the interview, Depp opened up about witnessing the first public reactions to the controversial series.
"It was incredible," she recalled, the actress reportedly received a five-minute standing ovation for her performance. "It felt like such a beautiful celebration, and culmination of, like, everything that we have been through together and the beautiful process that was in the show and creating this little family together."
Depp continued, "It just felt really, really nice and special to get to celebrate together, and we're just so happy with the response. It felt really nice to watch the reaction and everything and finally get to share something with the world that we're all so proud of."
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The Idol is debuts on June 4 at 9 p.m. ET HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
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