The Idol: Here are all the incredible LGBTQ+ actors starring in HBO’s new series
Troye Sivan (left) and Dan Levy are just two of the LGBTQ+ stars who’ve landed roles in HBO’s The Idol (HBO)
HBO’s star-studded new series The Idol is set to whip LGBTQ+ TV-lovers into a frenzy in 2023 with a host of queer talent.
Featuring LGBTQ+ stars including Dan Levy, Troye Sivan and Anne Heche (in her final TV appearance after she tragically died in a car crash in 2022), the show will reportedly portray the “sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood”, featuring drugs, raves, and sex set against a dark and gritty LA backdrop.
From the minds of Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) and Reza Fahim, The Idol stars Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, an up-and-coming pop idol and love interest to Tedros (played by Grammy-winning musician The Weeknd).
As well as established names like Sivan and Levy, the show also features rising queer stars such as trans model Hari Nef.
Here’s everything you need to know about The Idol’s LGBTQ+ cast members as the show debuts on HBO in the US and on Sky and NOW TV in the UK.
Lily-Rose Depp
Lily-Rose Depp spearheads the The Idol’s all-star cast as ambitious pop starlet Jocelyn.
While the series itself has attracted controversy, the 24-year-old actor’s personal life is also generating headlines after she made her relationship with chart-topping “Escapism” rapper 070 Shake public earlier this year.
Depp, who is the daughter of Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp, first sparked discussion about her sexuality in 2015 after taking part in an LGBTQ+ charity campaign which saw photographs taken of 10,000 people across the US who do not identify as totally straight.
Her father Johnny told the Daily Mail in November of that year: “She’s got thousands of followers on social media, and they were all taken completely by surprise.
“But not me. I already knew because she tells me everything – she’s not afraid to say anything to me. We’re super-tight and I’m very proud of our relationship.”
Dan Levy
Dan Levy, star of Schitt’s Creek, Happiest Season and the upcoming fourth season of Sex Education, has been confirmed for a role in The Idol.
However, the 39-year-old actor’s character has not yet been named or had any parts of his plot revealed.
Levy has confirmed that his character in the gritty drama will be a “vibe shift” from his previous comedic roles, sharing a clip in which he appears to play a producer or executive.
Hari Nef
Like Levy, Hari Nef’s character has yet to be named, however she has been spotted in several clips sporting a striking orange bob.
The trans actor and model, 30, described the show as being about “gorgeous gorgeous girls doing the absolute best they can in a sick, dark, f**ked up word”.
Nef is known from her previous role in Netflix’s You and as the trans rabbi who helped organise a “they-mitzvah” in Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That…
Nef will also reportedly be appearing in the new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
Troye Sivan
Still just 27, Troye Sivan has enjoyed a sprawling and impressive career, releasing two albums, starring in several movies including Boy Erased and X-Men Origins: Wolverine and boasting over seven million subscribers on YouTube, where he used to be a vlogger.
Sivan’s character on The Idol has also not yet been named, but has been featured in a few fleeting shots in the show’s teaser trailers.
In a post on Instagram, Sivan wrote that filming The Idol had been the “best time of my life”.
“Love everyone involved and can’t waaaiatttststattatat for you to see it,” the actor wrote.
Anne Heche
The Idol will mark the final on-screen appearance of queer actress Anne Heche, who died in a car accident in 2022 at the age of 53.
The actress, dated Ellen DeGeneres in the late 1990s, died from severe brain injuries following a car crash in Los Angeles in August last year.
Her best friend, jewellery designer and philanthropist Nancy Davis, wrote on Instagram after her death: “Heaven has a new angel. My loving, kind, fun, endearing and beautiful friend Anne Heche went to heaven.”
When and where can I watch The Idol?
The Idol consists of six episodes and six ad airs on HBO in the US. In the UK it is available to watch on Sky Atlantic and the NOW TV streaming service.
