After ‘The Idol,' The Weeknd Decided to ‘Focus on Being an Actor' for ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow'

It'll be a long time before HBO's misfire music series 'The Idol' is associated with anything other than chaos, but its star, Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd, is at least taking away positive lessons from the experience. Speaking in a recent interview with Fader ahead of the release of his new film, 'Hurry Up Tomorrow,' Tesfaye acknowledged that going into the project and knowing director Trey Edward Shults would be at the helm, he knew he couldn't become as invested as he did on the failed TV show.
'I wanted to do my job as an actor,' Tesfaye said. 'So make my piece with the idea, with the script, give whatever notes I have to give, but essentially it being his film, where I give him the material, he makes the movie he wants to make, and I get to just focus on being an actor and not give a fuck about what's going on behind the scenes.'
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Tesfaye went on to share that Shults' way of directing from afar and never making himself too apparent while shooting a scene really allowed him to be in the moment, rather than dissect every choice he was making. This ultimately made for a much more enjoyable and efficient experience compared to 'The Idol.'
'[Trey] really doesn't want to get in the way of whatever is happening in front of the camera and it was a smoother process,' said Tesfaye. 'I got to just focus on performing and doing what I do in front of the camera and stay in it, just stay in in the role.'
It also helped that he had close friends nearby to support him, including producer Kevin Turen, who sadly passed away two years ago after production had wrapped. Co-star Barry Keoghan is also a longtime friend of Tesfaye who helped ground the reality of their scenes.
'I knew he was the only one that can play this role because we were like brothers already,' he said. 'So a lot of it didn't feel like acting, I got to just be with my brother in that moment. And Jenna [Ortega] as well. Jenna just was so patient with me and just gave incredible notes and she's just doing so much heavy lifting in the film that it just felt like I was in a in a great space to just perform.'
Ultimately, Tesfaye was 'blown away' by the first cut Shults delivered, providing a 'very cathartic' experience as the film reflected some his own experiences with sleep paralysis and losing his voice.
Watch Tesfaye's full Fader interview below
'Hurry Up Tomorrow' releases in theaters May 16 from Lionsgate.
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Business Insider

35 minutes ago

• Business Insider

11 historic mansions from HBO's 'The Gilded Age' that you can visit in real life

HBO's "The Gilded Age" films scenes in real historic mansions from the time period. Several mansions once owned by the Vanderbilt family in Newport, Rhode Island, appear in the show. Gilded Age mansions in Tarrytown and Sands Point, New York, also serve as film sets for the series. If you weren't an heiress, coal magnate, or railroad tycoon, you probably wouldn't have made the guest list at Gilded Age parties. Those gatherings were reserved for the wealthiest, most powerful members of society at the turn of the 20th century. However, visitors of all economic brackets can visit many of the historic opulent estates that serve as film sets for HBO's show " The Gilded Age." The show shoots at real mansions from the time period, many of which are now museums, to create authentic portrayals of the characters' exorbitant wealth. Season three of "The Gilded Age" premieres June 22 on HBO. Here are 11 Gilded Age mansions where the show filmed that offer tours of their magnificent properties. Rosecliff, a 30-room mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, was modeled after King Louis XIV's Grand Trianon palace in Versailles. Theresa "Tessie" Fair Oelrichs, whose family's silver fortune earned her the nickname "Bonanza Heiress," built Rosecliff in 1902 as her summer home. Admission to tours of the 28,800-square-foot property can be purchased through the Preservation Society of Newport County. Fans of "The Gilded Age" will recognize the ceiling of Rosecliff's ballroom from the show's opening credits. Rosecliff features the largest private ballroom in Newport, measuring 40 feet by 80 feet. Scenes from "The Great Gatsby," "27 Dresses," and "Amistad" have also been filmed there. One of the grandest Gilded Age mansions in Newport, the Breakers spans 138,300 square feet and belonged to one of the era's wealthiest families. Cornelius Vanderbilt II, heir to his grandfather's railroad fortune, built the Breakers as a summer home in 1895. The name "Breakers" comes from the sound of waves breaking against the shores of the Newport property. The Preservation Society of Newport County manages the mansion as a museum. Tours can be booked online. Several rooms in the Breakers were used as film sets for "The Gilded Age," including the music room and the billiard room. The billiard room features a wrought-iron and bronze lighting fixture so heavy that it had to be attached to the structural beams of the home. In a scene in "The Gilded Age," George Russell played a game of billiards in the room after a dinner party. The music room also served as a film set for "The Gilded Age," appearing as the Russells' ballroom where they hosted Gladys' debut ball at the end of season one. Marble House in Newport was a 39th birthday present from William K. Vanderbilt to his then-wife, Alva, in 1892. Marble House is named for the 500,000 cubic feet of marble featured throughout the home. When Alva Vanderbilt divorced her husband in 1895, she maintained ownership of Marble House and custody of their three children. She then married one of her neighbors, Oliver H.P. Belmont, in 1896, and became Alva Belmont. After his death, she leveraged her fortune to fund causes in the women's suffrage movement and hosted suffrage conventions at Marble House. The Preservation Society of Newport County operates tours of the property. In "The Gilded Age," scenes in George Russell's bedroom are filmed in the room that belonged to Alva and William's daughter, Consuelo Vanderbilt. ​​Chateau-sur-Mer in Newport was originally built by merchant William Shepard Wetmore in 1852, then remodeled by his son in the 1870s. George Wetmore, who inherited the Italianate-style villa when his father died in 1862, served as the governor of Rhode Island and as a US senator representing the state. Tours of the home are available through the Preservation Society of Newport County. Rooms at ​​Chateau-sur-Mer that appear in "The Gilded Age" include the stair hall and the dining room. Chateau-sur-Mer appears in the show as the home of Mamie Fish, who hosted a doll tea party in the first season. The stair hall is painted with the biblical Tree of Life, and the dining room walls are decorated with wallpaper made of Spanish leather covered in silver. Gilded Age coal magnate Edward Julius Berwind and his wife, Sarah Herminie Berwind, built The Elms in Newport in 1901. The Elms was modeled after the 18th-century French château, Château d'Asnières, and furnished with custom Louis XV-style furniture. The mansion sits on a 10-acre estate, where the Berwinds used to host lavish parties. The Preservation Society of Newport County operates tours of the lavish home. The show films in Sarah Herminie Berwind's bedroom and the mansion's main kitchen. Sarah Herminie Berwind's bedroom appears as Gladys Russell's room in "The Gilded Age," and the main kitchen serves as the Russell family's kitchen where servants gossip and prepare meals. Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, was owned by three prominent Gilded Age families: the Pauldings, the Merritts, and the Goulds. Former New York City Mayor William Paulding and his wife, real-estate heiress Maria Rhinelander Paulding, built the mansion in 1842. Merchant George Merritt bought Lyndhurst Mansion in 1864 and built an addition onto the home, doubling its square footage to 14,000 square feet. Railroad tycoon Jay Gould then purchased it in 1880. In the world of "The Gilded Age," the mansion is home to the characters of Charles and Aurora Fane. "The Gilded Age" has filmed scenes in Lyndhurst Mansion's parlor, dining room, and art gallery. The show also uses the mansion's carriage house as the offices of The New York Globe newspaper and its 67-acre grounds as a stand-in for Central Park. The Hempstead House at Sands Point Preserve on Long Island was built in 1912 by financier Howard Gould. Howard Gould, son of the aforementioned Jay Gould, only lived at Hempstead House for a few years before selling it to Daniel and Florence Guggenheim in 1917. Daniel was the brother of Solomon Guggenheim, for whom the Manhattan museum is named, and Benjamin Guggenheim, who died on the Titanic. Hempstead House is located within Sands Point Preserve, which is open to the public and contains three mansions that can be toured. Tickets for a guided tour of Hempstead House can be purchased at the park's welcome center. You may recognize this room as George Russell's office. George Russell conducted many of his business dealings in this room at Hempstead House, now the home's library. "The Gilded Age" isn't the only project to have filmed here. You may also have seen Hempstead House in "Malcolm X," the 1998 adaptation of "Great Expectations," or "Scent of a Woman." Hunter House was originally built in 1748. Hunter House actually dates back to the colonial times, generations before the Gilded Age began. It even played a role in the Revolutionary War as the headquarters for the French fleet, per The Preservation Society of Newport County. Keeping Hunter House in good shape led to the creation of the Preservation Society in 1945, per the Society's website. There are guided tours held daily (excluding Sundays and Mondays) from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On the show, one of the sitting rooms is used as lawyer Tom Raikes' office. In the show, Raikes' office is in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It's one of the first non-New York City locations we see on the show. Belcourt was built in 1894 for the socialite Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont in Rhode Island. This 50,000-square-feet, 60-room summer home was modeled after King Louis XIII's hunting lodge at Versailles. The property was known for its extensive stables and carriage space, which makes sense: You may recognize his last name from the Belmont Stakes, the annual horse race in Elmont, New York, that was named for his father, August Belmont Sr. Belcourt is open for both guided tours during the day and candlelight walks and ghost tours in the evenings. The property doubles as the summer home of the Astors on "The Gilded Age." In a memorable moment in season one, Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) ends up sneaking around Belcourt (Beechwood, in the show) to avoid a run-in with Mrs. Astor. Westbrook, home of New York attorney and real-estate developer William Bayard Cutting, is located in Oakdale, New York. Westbrook was built in 1886 in the Tudor Revival style. Inside, there are 60 rooms (and 20 fireplaces). Westbrook's main draw, though, is its gardens. The house is now located inside the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, which is home to 691 acres of plants, trails, and more. There are separate guided tours of the arboretum and Westbrook available seasonally. There's also the Hidden Oak Café, which is located inside Westbrook and offers the option to take "Victorian Tea," complete sandwiches, scones, and tea. It was used during season one of the show. The Cuttings were part of the famed "Four Hundred" list, which was published by The New York Times in the 1890s. It named the 400 most socially acceptable people living in New York City. So, even though only their house has popped up on the show, the real Cutting family could too. The Glenview Mansion was built in the 1870s in Yonkers, a city in Westchester County, New York. It was built for the financier John Bond Trevor, who was partners with James Boorman Colgate (yes, of those Colgates). After the Trevors sold the home to the city of Yonkers, it became part of the Hudson River Museum, which is still open today. The interior of Glenview was used as the interior of Mrs. Astor's home.

USA Today

2 hours ago

• USA Today

Connections hints, clues and answers on Sunday, June 22 2025

WARNING: THERE ARE CONNECTIONS SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT THE JUNE 22, 2025 NYT CONNECTIONS ANSWER SPOILED FOR YOU. Ready? OK! Have you been playing Connections, the super fun word game from the New York Times that has people sharing those multi-colored squares on social media like they did with Wordle? It's pretty fun and sometimes very challenging, so we're here to help you out with some clues and the answer for the four categories that you need to know: 1. Think TV. 2. Go back to 1776. 3. "BREAKING." 4. Think direction, sort of. The answers are below this photo: 1. HBO shows 2. Nouns from a famous line in the Declaration of Independence 3. News announcement 4. What "left" might mean Play more word games Looking for more word games?

Geek Girl Authority

4 hours ago

• Geek Girl Authority

New TV Shows This Week (June 22 - 28)

Welcome to another edition of New TV Shows. This week, an HBO favorite show is back for its third season. A show about games and death returns for its final season. A well-known TV star makes her feature film directorial debut and Marvel releases a new series on Disney+. Some exciting series, including one on Apple TV+, are premiering this week. Get ready because things are about to get good. Here's what's new on TV for June 22-28. NEW ON TV, JUNE 22-28 June 22 – The Gilded Age Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Blake Ritson, Ben Ahlers, Ashlie Atkinson and Dylan Baker are back for Season 3 of The Gilded Age . The new season finds the Russells at the top of society while the old guard is as weak as ever. Bertha is set on marrying her daughter while George struggles to come to terms with the choice. The Gilded Age Season 3 premieres Sunday, June 22 at 9/8c on HBO. RELATED: TV Review: Nautilus Series Premiere June 24 – Ironheart Marvel comes back to Disney+ with a new hero TV show. Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Manny Montana, Matthew Elam and Anji White join Ironheart . After what happened in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , Riri Williams returns to her hometown while working on a unique iron suit using special technology. While doing so, she finds herself wrapped up with The Hood. Ironheart premieres Tuesday, June 24 at 9/8c on Disney+. RELATED: Riri Williams Strives to Build Something Iconic in Ironheart Trailer June 25 – Countdown After a mysterious murder, an officer from the LAPD joins a secret task force. While working, he comes across a sinister plot that will push the team to unite forces and work together in order to keep everyone in the city safe. The series stars Jensen Ackles, Jessica Camacho, Eric Dane, Violett Beane, Uli Latukefu and Elliot Knight. Countdown premieres Wednesday, June 25 at 3/2 am on Prime Video. RELATED: The End Is Here in Explosive First Trailer for The Sandman Season 2 June 25 – The Bear Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce and Matty Matheson are back for Season 4 of The Bear . The previous season had an open ending that left the audience wondering what would happen next. A question that needs an answer is, will Sydney choose to stay where she is or become Adam Shapiro's chef de cuisine? The Bear Season 4 premieres Wednesday, June 25 at 8/7c on FX and Hulu. RELATED: 5 Books Fans of The Bear Have to Read June 27 – Smoke Taron Egerton, Jurnee Smollett, John Leguizamo, Rafe Spall, Greg Kinnear, Ntare Mwine and Hannah Emily Anderson come together for Apple TV+'s Smoke . The series follows an arson investigator who is forced to join a police detective as they investigate two fires. The fires seem to have been started by two arsonists, leading to games and suspicions. Smoke premieres Friday, June 27 at Midnight/11c on Apple TV+. RELATED: Doctor Who : Our Favorite Season 2 Episodes June 27 – Squid Game The final season of Squid Game comes to Netflix this week. Season 3 picks up right where Season 2 ended. Gi-hun must make important choices to survive the remaining players and win the game. In-ho goes back to being the Front Man, and his brother searches for the elusive island without realizing there is a traitor among them. Squid Game Season 3 premieres Friday, June 27 at 3/2 am on Netflix. RELATED: TV Review: Squid Game Season 2 June 27 – My Mom Jayne While Mariska Hargitay is known by most fans for her role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , the vast majority also know her for being Jayne Mansfield's daughter. Now, Hargitay is owning her mother's story, reshaping what the media told of her and sharing her legacy in a new documentary, My Mom Jayne . Hargitay has directed several episodes of her show, but this is her feature film directorial debut. My Mom Jayne premieres Friday, June 27 at 8/7c on HBO. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Olivia Benson June 28 – A Machu Picchu Proposal Rhiannon Fish and Alec Santos star in Hallmark's newest film, A Machu Picchu Proposal . The movie tells the story of Katie as she agrees to go to Peru with her brother and his girlfriend. During the trip, Katie's brother asks her to use her Spanish knowledge to get his girlfriend's father's blessing for the proposal he is planning. However, as a friend of Luciana's (the girlfriend) comes into town, the proposal keeps getting ruined. A Machu Picchu Proposal premieres Saturday, June 28 at 8/7c on Hallmark Channel. Check back next week for What's New on TV for June 29 – July 5. REACHER Season 4 Adds 8 New Faces to the Mix By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature who works in PR. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Tell-Tale TV, Eulalie Magazine, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.