Azaria joins co-stars Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd in defending the HBO show after claims of excessive nudity.
Hank Azaria is defending his new HBO drama, The Idol, following controversy over the show's nude scenes.
Appearing on the third hour of the Today show Tuesday, Azaria said "every care was taken," a sentiment the show's star, Lily-Rose Depp has echoed in her defense of the series.
"I was mercifully left out of the nude shenanigans personally, but I can tell you that I know Lily-Rose [Depp], who was the center of all that mainly, has said publicly and privately how protected and taken care of and collaborated with and listened to and safe she felt," Azaria said. "I know every care was taken, not just with those kind of scenes, but there are many kinds of sensitive scenes in this show, and I certainly felt safe that way and collaborated with."
The Idol stars Depp as Jocelyn, an up-and-coming pop singer who is pressured and influenced by Tedros (The Weeknd), a charismatic cult leader/self-help guru who promises Jocelyn everything and will stop at nothing to make her famous.
Azaria also referenced a Rolling Stone expose which claimed that production of the series had "gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails," calling the outlet's report "ridiculous."
"It seemed to be in that Rolling Stone piece connected to what they called the 'chaotic nature of the set,' and how it was really haphazard, and that I can tell you is ridiculous... I understand how certain people could feel that way. I felt that way the first couple of days," he admitted. "I was like, 'What are we doing? What's happening?' Because a lot of changes were made based on sometimes the beauty of the light we were shooting in, or how the script was changing or how a character's story was evolving. But it was incredibly creative and wonderful."
The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, responded to the criticism in a Vanity Fair profile, saying he too "thought the article was ridiculous." Tesfaye added, "I wanted to give a ridiculous response to it."
At the time the allegations were first published, the musician responded by sharing a clip from the show in which his character deems Rolling Stone "irrelevant."
Depp also spoke out in defense of the series and and its creator, Sam Levinson, telling ET, "Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with. Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued. Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every way - it matters to him, more than anything, not only what his actors think about the work, but how we feel performing it. He hires people whose work he esteems and has always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard, and appreciated."
As for the show, it seems to be doing just fine, with HBO reporting that the show's premiere episode saw 3.6 million viewers over its first week, putting it ahead of the series premieres of Euphoria (3.3 million viewers) in 2019 and The White Lotus (3 million) in 2021.
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