Blackpink’s Jennie takes Hollywood in dazzling TV series debut: the K-pop singer stars in HBO’s The Idol as Lily-Rose Depp’s backup dancer alongside The Weeknd and Troye Sivan – but can she act?

She’s already gone from K-pop queen to global music star thanks to Blackpink’s international success, but now Jennie Kim has her sights set on Hollywood after her debut acting role in new TV series The Idol. After plenty of hype, HBO’s The Idol finally premiered on June 4 to somewhat mixed reviews. Despite the show’s initial reception, Blackpink fans were surely glued to their screens as Jennie made her big on-screen Hollywood splash. So what’s the show about, what role does Jennie play in it and – most importantly – can she act? What is The Idol about? Created by Sam Levinson, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Reza Fahim, the series focuses on Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp), a world-famous music star who, after having a nervous breakdown that causes her last tour to be cancelled, tries to reclaim her title as popular pop princess. Jocelyn then begins a complicated relationship with Tedros (played by The Weeknd), a self-help guru and the head of a contemporary cult. What role does Jennie play? Credited as “Jennie Ruby Jane”, the Blackpink star plays the reoccurring role of Dyanne – the lead character Jocelyn’s backup dancer and close friend. Meet Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif, soon to be married! In her first scenes, Jennie can be seen rehearsing alongside other dancers in Jocelyn’s garden. Doing what she does best, Jennie goes on to show Jocelyn how to do the moves, and ultimately steals the scene with her slick dancing. In a far cry from K-pop’s squeaky-clean expectations for its stars, Jennie can be seen drinking, partying and dancing seductively as she joins lead star Depp on a night out after their rehearsals. Is Jennie any good as an actress? From what we can tell in episode one, the camera certainly loves her! Fortunately, Jennie’s screen debut is focused on her dance moves so far, which is hardly a far stretch for her. However, she does have a couple of lines and even speaks with a subtle American accent. As her character Dyanne is a reoccurring role on the series, we’re hoping for more lines and character development in upcoming episodes. Who else is in it? Jennie is certainly in good company during her on screen series debut. Besides Depp and The Weeknd, The Idol features a variety of other real-life idols. Stars like singer Troye Sivan and actors Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Hank Azaria all feature in regular roles. How supermodel Heidi Klum looks – and feels – half her age at 50 The series also marks the final TV appearance of actress Anne Heche, who tragically died in August 2022. Is the series based on Britney Spears? The storyline has drawn plenty of similarities to the rise and fall of Britney Spears, who was mysteriously photographed with creators Levinson and The Weeknd in May 2022. Troubled Jocelyn’s narrative is similar to Spears’ infamous past – she is under pressure from a merciless management team and fake friends to continue performing and earning millions at the expense of her own mental health. Sound familiar? In fact, the first episode already made a noted reference to Spears, appearing to confirm speculation that the show is loosely based on her career. During one scene, a journalist comments that Jocelyn’s choreography is like a “homage to Britney” to which her publicist replies: “I think what Britney and Jocelyn have gone through is really unique but ultimately universal, you know? Look at what she’s overcome, you know, the press has been brutal. But Britney as well, people count them out, and this is Jocelyn saying I will not be written off.” Inside Karl Lagerfeld’s love for K-pop stars Jennie Kim and G-Dragon Spears herself caused plenty of confusion when she claimed to film scenes for the show way back in 2021. At the time, she wrote on Instagram: “I just shot a movie titled The Idol … it’s guaranteed to have hits and a lot of bright pics to put in my beautiful family’s faces.” Will Spears perhaps pop up in an upcoming episode? All we know is: if Spears and Jennie ever team up on screen, the world of pop music will certainly come to a standstill. Want more stories like this? Follow Style on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.