Who's the Actor Playing Jocelyn's Ex-Boyfriend Rob in The Idol?

Sam Levinson and The Weeknd's The Idol is one of the most uncomfortable shows to watch in the last decade, which is especially surprising considering how many stars are associated with the project. However, even though the majority of viewers are appalled by the amount of unnecessary nudity and violent content in the show, The Idol is still a huge hit, which perfectly explains why a lot of actors decided to sign on to HBO's controversial series.

And it looks like at least one of them managed to get some positive feedback from his appearance on The Idol — Karl Glusman.

The young actor appeared on the show in the recently released Episode 4 as Rob, an ex-boyfriend of Lily-Rose Depp's Jocelyn. The Weeknd's character and Jocelyn's new abusive lover, Tedros, was clearly bummed that the pop star invited her ex to her home, which meant that she wasn't under his full control yet.

Fans thought that the scene in which Jocelyn had sex with Rob while Tedros eavesdropped on them crying was one of the most cringe-worthy in television history, but many still praised Karl Glusman's performance in it.

But even though Rob's introduction to the series may have lacked interesting writing, Karl Glusman himself became a real talk of the town. As it turns out, the promising actor had been popular with the avant-garde crowd for quite some time before starring in The Idol.

In 2015, Karl appeared in the pornographic film Love by French director Gaspar Noé, who was a major influence on Sam Levinson, and this may explain his appearance in The Idol. After Love, the actor starred in episodic roles in The Neon Demon, Nocturnal Animals, and Lvx Æterna and played supporting characters in several shows, including Devs and Gypsy.

Hopefully, Sam Levinson's decision to cast Glusman in The Idol will help him get the recognition he deserves. With his appearance in the hit series and a packed production schedule, it looks like Karl Glusman may finally join the ranks of popular mainstream actors, perhaps even landing his first lead role since 2015.

The Idol Episode 5 will premiere on HBO on July 2, 2023.