Pratik Handore
HBO’s ‘The Idol’ is a drama series co-created by Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd. It follows pop star Jocelyn as her life takes a drastic turn when she encounters Tedros, a self-help guru who takes her down a dark path. The series explores the dark realities of the music industry through a tumultuous relationship. In the series, Abel Tesfaye’s Tedros sports a unique hairstyle resembling a rattail. Hence, viewers must be curious to learn about the reason behind the hairdo and whether it is Abel Tesfaye’s real hair in ‘The Idol.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Abel Tesfaye Sports a Rattail
In ‘The Idol,’ Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, plays the role of Tedros, a self-help guru and modern-day cult leader who becomes entangled with pop star Jocelyn. In the first episode, Jocelyn visits a club that is owned and managed by Tedros. When Tedros first meets Jocelyn, his undeniable charm wins her over. However, Jocelyn’s friend, Leia, finds him to be a sketchy figure primarily because of his appearance. In the series, Tedros is depicted with a rattail hairstyle. The style features a long strand of hair extending from a person’s hair, resembling a rat’s tail.
Tesfaye’s character sports a rattail in the series, which is the defining physical attribute of Tedros. However, there is no particular explanation behind the character’s decision to use this specific hairstyle. Rattails are essential to Jedi Padawans in George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars‘ franchise. The rattail was at the peak of its popularity in the mid to late 1980s. However, it faded out of fashion and has remained an obscure hairstyle since the 90s. Similarly, Tedros is a mysterious enigma whose past remains shrouded in mystery. Tedros’ personality and his cult-leader status might inform his hairstyle, and the rattail could signify his inner dark and obscure past that will come to light as the narrative progresses.
It Is Not Abel Tesfaye’s Real Hair
Abel Tesfaye is a Grammy-award-winning singer who is popularly known by his stage persona “The Weeknd.” Tesfaye served as the co-creator of ‘The Idol’ and also plays the lead role of Tedros. The Weeknd, who has given several musical hits, such as “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears,” has been known for his vibrant hairstyles throughout his career. In the early stages of his career, the Canadian R&B singer sported a hairstyle that was partially inspired by Brooklyn graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. However, ahead of the release of the album ‘Starboy,’ the singer had cut his hair into a neatly shaped Afro-style, which he continues to sport to present.
However, for his role as Tedros, which is a character separate from his “The Weeknd” persona, Tesfaye had to sport a rattail hairstyle, and this look was achieved with the help of a wig. The unique hairstyle was likely necessary for the singer to disassociate his character in the show from the image of his musical persona. However, since Tesfaye continues to perform at concerts and makes public appearances, he might not have wished to sport the rattail hairdo full-time. As a result, he did not actually change his hairstyle and opted to wear a wig while filming scenes as Tedros for ‘The Idol.’ The same was evident when Tesfaye performed at a concert in LA, during which a portion of the series was filmed with the singer wearing his wig for the shoot and reverting to his usual look for the rest of the time.
