South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
The Weeknd shows sillier side in ‘American Dad’ guest spot
Over the past few months, The Weeknd — aka Abel Tesfaye — has found multiple ways to expand his persona. He’s dropped his smash “After Hours” album, which brought forth a new vulnerability in its lyrics and made a cameo appearance (as himself ) in Adam Sandler’s film “Uncut Gems.” But at the other end of the spectrum, he made comic turns on “Saturday Night Live” and in a guest spot on TBS’ long-running animated series “American Dad,” which saw him not only writing a song and voicing his character (a literally virginal version of himself ) but also helping to write the episode, which was called, naturally, “A Starboy Is Born.”
“I’m a longtime fan of the show,” he said. “I’ve been watching since high school, but I really appreciated it about seven years ago. It’s been running for so long, and I feel like it has a real cult following. To really enjoy the show in its entirety you have to really know the characters.”
The show presents a comic twist on The Weeknd image — as did his appearance in a classic “SNL” song-skit with Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd called “On the Couch,” a mock R&B ballad about being banished by the wife.
The Weeknd spoke with us about “American Dad” when the episode aired in May, but as Emmy season gets rolling, we connected with him again, along with the show’s writer-producer Joel Hurwitz.
How did the script come together? Were you sending it back and forth or was it more brainstorming over the phone?
Hurwitz: I’ve never written a script with a
Did the idea for the song come while you were working on the script?
Hurwitz: We thought the original song should play against The Weeknd’s amount of time you need brand. The writers room to wear one. Masks, the pitched so many hilarious CDC says, should be worn song ideas. One day in the Wearing a mask can be hot in “public settings where room, I wrote “Weeknd Is and make breathing feel other social distancing Virgin” on the board. I more difficult. With that in measures are difficult to mega-celebrity singer instantly regretted it. I was mind, you’ll want to make maintain,” such as grocery before, so we basically crying from laughing so sure your mask is reasonstores and pharmacies. invented our process on hard, but I still didn’t know ably breathable to help “Think about when the fly. Early on, Abel was Abel that well. I thought it both increase comfort and wearing a mask is necesin New York recording a would offend him. Like, decrease the impulse to sary, and not wearing one No. 1 album or something. asking The Weeknd to call touch the mask to adjust it when it is not needed,” So we talked on the phone himself a virgin isn’t quirky — which is a big no-no Kovarik says. You may not and texted a lot. — it would straight-up when out and about. need one when driving
Celebrity cameos are damage The Weeknd’s “You want a breathable alone in your car or sitting inherently corny, but we image if the episode sucks. fabric,” says Nicole Cloth masks solo on your porch — as wanted “A Starboy Is So I didn’t pitch the virgin Jochym, a third-year medishould not be worn when long as you are maintainBorn” to be different. The idea. Then that night, Abel cal student at Cooper Medthey become damp or wet, ing proper social distancWeeknd and “Americaning.calledmeandsaid“Hey,icalSchoolatRowanUni-whichcouldcauseissuesin
Dad” are weirdly aligned in what if I was a virgin?” versity. Her recommendathe summer, when we’re all To help keep your mask the zeitgeist, so this had When tion: Using a mask that is sweating more heavily. time to a minimum, the potential to be special. you hear the song, you made from 100% cotton. Because cotton masks will Jochym says, try planning After we wrote the script, I understand that it’s specifAccording to the CDC, absorb sweat when you effective routes to your kept Abel in the loop at ically for the show. Also a good options include wear them, Jochym says, it destination. every boring animation big shout-out to Asa (Tacwoven cotton sheets and is important to have several stage. “American Dad” is a cone, who co-wrote the T-shirt fabric. clean ones available to use. team effort and Abel’s song and also co-wrote and While cotton isn’t mois“You have to be able to involvement fired everyco-produced Portugal. The ture-wicking, she says, it’s switch it out as it gets one up. Man’s smash “Feel It, more breathable than damp on the inside,” she Still”), who is a ... genius synthetic fabrics like polysays. producer/writer. Defiester, and it could make Kovarik adds that health nitely will be collaborating masks more comfortable in care workers are often with him more in the futhe heat. Avoid filters, advised to take a 15-minute ture. Jochym adds, because they break from wearing their are often made from synmask every two hours to thetic materials, and can give their skin time to air make masks hotter and out, which could mean harder to breathe through. using several masks per day. If you plan to swap your mask, she says, do it at home, or if that is not possible, in an area without other people.
Abel, “American Dad” showed a humorous side of your personality and persona that hadn’t really been seen before. Was that something you wanted more people to be aware of?
The Weeknd: Yes, because I’ve been doing this for a decade now and everyone thinks I have this dark, shadowy aura. I wanted to show people that I don’t take myself too seriously. of your personality or persona that maybe isn’t well known?
The Weeknd: I’m very approachable, and people don’t really know that about me. It might be surprising to some to learn how inquisitive I am and how much I love talking to people and going deep into conversation.
Abel, what’s your dream episode of a cartoon you’d make, both as a writer and voicing a character?
The Weeknd: Working with (legendary Warner Bros. voice actor) Mel Blanc would have been a dream — getting to play alongside him as Bugs Bunny would have been surreal.
Your mask should be somewhat snug on your face, but you don’t want it to be so tight that it’s uncomfortable or difficult to breathe through. To solve that issue, says Carrie Kovarik, an associate professor of dermatology at