BLACKPINK's Jennie made a personal choice in starring in HBO's American drama 'The Idol', marking her debut as an actress.

On June 7th, multiple entertainment insiders disclosed that Jennie had directly received a casting offer from 'The Idol's' producer, the famous Canadian singer, The Weeknd, and consequently decided to participate. Although some voices pointed out that YG Entertainment, Jennie's agency, should take responsibility for her appearance in 'The Idol', insiders suggest that Jennie's decision to join the show was entirely her own.

An industry insider told TenAsia, "Jennie personally met with The Weeknd, received the offer, and expressed her desire to be part of the project. She was fully aware of her role and the parts she would be acting, and she had something she wanted to express herself."

'The Idol', which was invited to the non-competition section of the 76th Cannes Film Festival, is receiving a lot of attention as Jennie's first acting challenge. Jennie stepped onto the Cannes Film Festival red carpet and caught the attention of global fans.

'The Idol' is set in the music industry of Los Angeles (LA), depicting the world of a popular female pop singer and her love story. In addition to The Weeknd, it stars Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of actor Johnny Depp, Troye Sivan, and Dan Levy, among others. Jennie portrayed the character Diane, a backup dancer dreaming of becoming a pop star.

However, the unveiled 'The Idol' has received severe criticism. Issues pointed out include high levels of sexual content, misogynistic depictions, and male-centered sexual fantasies.

In 'The Idol', Jennie's first acting attempt amounted to less than 10 minutes of controversially mature dance scenes. There was little opportunity for her to showcase her acting skills, making it difficult to evaluate her performance. Particularly, her dance scenes with male dancers have been viewed as excessive sexual objectification of Asian women.

In an interview at the Cannes Film Festival, Jennie shared the background of her participation in 'The Idol', "I have admired Sam Levinson's work for a long time, and I was fascinated by the story about the music industry. I thought I could bring something to this role."

She continued, "I saw it as an opportunity to be myself and be courageous. I didn't train or prepare anything. Sam wanted me just to be myself. I've never had this kind of experience before. It felt like I was breaking down walls for myself."

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