Lily-Rose Depp On Her 'The Idol' Sex Scenes: 'I Was Never Interested In Making Something Puritanical'

Lily-Rose Depp has once again defended her role in Sam Levinson's "The Idol."

In her cover story for Vogue Australia, the actress revealed that she was "excited" about joining the controversial series because she never wanted a puritanical role. Depp also mentioned that the character changed her, and she will never forget the memories she made on set.

"The Idol" is currently four episodes in and will wrap up at its fifth episode; meanwhile, there is still no clarity as to the future of the show.

Keep on reading to learn more.

Even before it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, Levinson's "The Idol" received a barrage of criticism, such as for allegedly having a toxic set.

After coming on HBO, the show once again got slammed by viewers, who called it out for its highly explicit scenes, of which Depp's character, Jocyelyn, was mostly seen at the center of it all.

Despite public opinion about the show being downright in the gutters, the actress has on multiple occasions defended her role in it and has once again done so during her recent cover spread with Vogue Australia.

She told the publication, "I was never interested in making something puritanical. It's okay if this show isn't for everyone and that's fine – I think all the best art is [polarising]. I've never felt more respected and more safe on a set, honestly."

Reflecting further on her decision to play the part of Jocelyn, Depp said that the "nudity and the risqué nature of the role" were "really intentional."

She said, "That was really important to me and something that I was excited about doing. I'm not scared of it. I think we live in a highly sexualized world. I think that's an interesting thing to explore."

Playing Jocelyn has left a lasting impression on Depp, who noted that she would "never say goodbye" to the character.

She added, "It was such a beautiful time in my life, honestly, shooting this, with you, with all of us, and everything.

"I'll never forget it, and it will live in my heart forever. I love this character so much, I feel like she has really changed me and also taught me so, so, so much."

On other occasions, Depp has defended her "The Idol" character, openly telling the world that their criticism will in no way change how she feels about the role.

In a recent interview with The Sun, the actress noted that not only did she "love doing that kind of work," but she also did not think "there's anything wrong with enjoying that kind of work."

She mentioned that "every outfit, every interaction, every piece of nudity" were really "important" to her, adding that her near-nude scenes felt "therapeutic."

She also made similar comments shortly after the show premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, particularly defending the "bareness" of her character.

Depp said, "I think that the occasional bareness of the character physically mirrors the bareness that we get to see emotionally in her."

Sadly, Depp's views, along with those of other major cast members who have spoken positively about it, have not been able to garner the show better ratings since it debuted on HBO.

More recently, it was revealed that its debut season had been cut down to five episodes from the six-episode arrangement that it was originally ordered for in 2021.

While the change might be surprising, an insider noted that it was done as a result of editing issues rather than poor ratings.

"The season ended up being five episodes when it was all said and done after Sam took over and made significant changes. The story only ended up requiring five," the insider told TV Line.

As for the future of the show, HBO has yet to reveal a decision, although they did make a recent tweet to clarify rumors that swirled online.