Latest news with #Fader
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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.' More from IndieWire Mia Threapleton Struggled to Focus on 'The Phoenician Scheme' Opposite Tom Hanks: 'It's Bloody Woody' 'What No One Tells You': Justin Simien Explains Why Delusion Is Key to Making It in Hollywood 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. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
The Weeknd reveals struggle with sleep paralysis
The Blinding Lights singer revealed that suffering from the scary sleep condition played a major role in inspiring his new film, Hurry Up Tomorrow. "There are no antagonists in this film," he shared in an interview with Fader. "I think that sleep paralysis is the enemy. That is something that I was really dealing with, still am to this day, not as much as before, but they're very vivid nightmares where you're in bed and you're half asleep, half awake,". "You're aware of your surroundings, but you can't move. You're paralysed for almost a minute..."
