The Weeknd Insists ‘Cinema’ Is His True Passion Despite His Panned Performance In The Idol

The Weeknd has revealed his true life’s passion… and surprisingly, it’s not music. The “Starboy” musician admitted that his rise to superstardom in the music industry was really just “a little detour” he used to pursue his number one passion.

The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, sat alongside his “Hurry Up Tomorrow” co-star Jenna Ortega and director Trey Edward Shults where he discussed how his decorated music career has led him to starring in his upcoming musical film, “Hurry up Tomorrow.” The movie — based on his sixth and final studio album under The Weeknd stage name — serves as a soundtrack to the highly anticipated film.

Described as a “suspense thriller,” the film follows an international pop star “plagued by insomnia” and “pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence. They story is loosely inspired by Tesfaye’s own career.

He confessed how, “Cinema has always, for me, it’s always kind of been my number one passion. I happen to sing and make music and it kind of felt like a little detour, a little cheat code to kind of get into this. I always wanted to make movies and I always wanted to make music with movies.” He added: “During that journey, you always kind of hear and see the DNA of cinema in my albums and my music videos, and my performances on my stage. It’s always just been a part of me.”

The star’s breakout acting role came in 2023 on HBO’s “The Idol,” which received mixed reviews and criticism for both the plot and his acting chops. That said, the pop mega star admitted that “The Idol” didn’t quite feel like it was his, whereas “Hurry Up Tomorrow” brought the joy back into filmmaking. “I’m like, ‘Yeah! I do want to do this…this is great,’ ” the star said with a relieved laugh.

Tesfaye’s decision to retire his stage name came during a time his voice began to fail him, describing the film as a “guiding light” to push him forward to the next step in his career. “It felt like I had nothing else to say,” the 35-year-old revealed. “I was on stage and it’s like, I’ve said everything I can say as this person. Now it’s time for me to take that next step.”

While Tesfaye’s breakout role may have left fans less than inspired, many are gearing up to see what’s next for him in this “intentionally mysterious” mind bending thriller, co-written by the music artist.

Since kicking off his career with acclaimed mixtape “House of Balloons,” Tesfaye has reportedly taken home a total of 176 awards out of 513 nominations including Grammy, Billboard, American Music, and MTV Awards.

“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is set to release in theaters May 16.

This story originally appeared on The Root, our sister site, on Thursday, May 8.