The Weeknd is in his acting era.

It’s not rare for a musician to take a dip in the acting pool. Both forms of art evoke strong emotions and reactions from fans that can range from absolute elation to complete indifference.

When the singer, née Abel Tesfaye, took on the role of Tedros in HBO’s The Idol, he wanted to fully commit to making him the most despicable character imaginable. Based on the viewers’ reactions from the first two episodes, “Pop Tarts & Rat Tales” and “Double Fantasy,” he accomplished that.

Tesfaye is known for being a perfectionist when it comes to his music. He spent over a decade delivering hit after hit and found himself at the top of the charts, on the Super Bowl stage, and garnering Grammy after Grammy. He brought that same approach when building The Idol world alongside the show’s creator, Sam Levinson.

The pair have worked together for years forming these characters and building a story that shows a pop star’s life behind the scenes and examines the kind of people that surround celebrities—something he knows a thing or two about from his own life. Tesfaye used his experience as a superstar to help guide his costar, Lily-Rose Depp.

She plays a singer named Jocelyn (or Joss for short), who is returning to the spotlight after her mother’s death caused her to have a breakdown. She meets Tedros at the peak of her grief and in a heightened state of vulnerability, she yearns for external validation that makes her fall into his alluring trap. Tedros is a sleazy club owner who surrounds himself with enticing, young people and Joss becomes his new target.

The actor didn’t want to romanticize his character or make him too appealing the way other shows and movies have done with serial killers or other despicable characters, like Joe Goldberg from You. By adding elements like a rattail, a lack of fashion sense, and a disturbing voice, Tesfaye wanted to make it clear to viewers exactly who Tedros is from the start.

“I wanted to make sure we felt so disgusted by this character. When you think about real-life scumbags, especially brainwashing cult leader types like him, there are so many directions you can go,” Tesfaye tells Complex. “I went into it, like, ‘Why pull the punches? Why take you down a journey and romanticize him? Let’s just jump right into it. He’s a fucking scumbag.'”

Tedros and Joss start a sexual relationship and their intimate scenes on the show have stirred up some controversy, but the singer has acknowledged that they were never meant to be sexy—and that he intended for people to be turned off by them. He also assures that while shooting those scenes can be “nerve-wracking” for everyone involved, the team makes everybody feel “comfortable and safe” while filming.

In a phone call with Complex, Tesfaye calls The Idol “a labor of love,” and while other musicians might take acting roles casually, he’d rather fully immerse himself in the story, the development of the characters, and in their love for their co-stars. And despite any criticism, he strongly believes in the show. Tesfaye is currently on tour in Europe, and while he can’t tune in to watch the show along with fans when it airs on HBO on Sundays, he is looking forward to them seeing his character unfurl as the show progresses. -Complex