Abel Tesfaye

Acting

Abel Tesfaye

Born 1990-02-16 · Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is noted for his unconventional music production, artistic reinventions, and his signature use of the falsetto register. His accolades include 4 Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 2 MTV Video Music Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, and nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Tesfaye earned critical and commercial success with his pop-leaning second album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), which reached number one in the US, contained the US Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills", and won the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album and was nominated for Album of the Year. His trap-infused third album Starboy (2016) saw similar commercial success and included the US number-one single of the same name and "Die for You", and won the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Tesfaye explored new wave and dream pop with his critically-acclaimed fourth studio album After Hours (2020), which featured the chart record-setting single "Blinding Lights" and the US number-one singles "Heartless" and "Save Your Tears". Dance-pop inspired his fifth album Dawn FM (2022), which included the US top-ten single "Take My Breath". Tesfaye is a cinephile, and has made numerous movie references in his music videos and teasers. On August 30, 2019, during the Telluride Film Festival, he made his acting debut in the film Uncut Gems. On March 7, 2020, during his third appearance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, he starred in the skit "On The Couch" with actors Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd. On May 4, he co-wrote and starred in an episode of American Dad!. In July, he voiced three characters during the 200th episode of Robot Chicken. On June 29, 2021, Tesfaye announced that he would be co-creating, co-writing, executive producing and starring in the HBO television drama series The Idol, alongside his producing partner Reza Fahim and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. On March 20, 2022, Tesfaye voiced two characters during an episode of The Simpsons. In 2023, it was announced that Tesfaye is co-writing a film with Trey Edward Shults, who is attached to direct; Tesfaye is also set to star in the film, alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. Description above from the Wikipedia article The Weeknd, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

Uncut Gems poster
7.2

A charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.

Uncut Gems

2019

Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour - Live poster
8.4

Filmed in front of 76,000 fans at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia, "The 1989 World Tour Live" captures Taylor Swift's entire performance while also mixing in behind-the-scene, rehearsal, and special guest footage from her 1989 Tour.

Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour - Live

2015

Hurry Up Tomorrow poster
5.0

A musician plagued by insomnia is pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence.

Hurry Up Tomorrow

2025

The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium poster
7.7

Filmed at LA's SoFi Stadium, The Weeknd brings down the house – and your living room – in this epic concert event.

The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium

2023

TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy poster
5.1

A series of lawsuits and allegations have legendary rap mogul P. Diddy on the ropes. TMZ has the troubling inside story from people who were there.

TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy

2024

Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall poster
7.0

Director Spike Lee chronicles Michael Jackson's early rise to fame.

Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall

2016

Lemonade poster
8.4

The second "visual album" (a collection of short films) by Beyoncé, this time around she takes a piercing look at racial issues and feminist concepts through a sexualized, satirical, and solemn tone.

Lemonade

2016

No artwork available
NR

The 2020 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball presented by Capital One is happening next week (December 10th), but to get pumped up for this year’s holiday show for its 25th anniversary, fans can take a look back on some of the most iconic moments from over the years.

iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2020

2020

The Weeknd - Double Fantasy poster
7.5

Music video by The Weeknd performing "Double Fantasy", theme song from the series "The Idol".

The Weeknd - Double Fantasy

2023

Quincy Jones, Music Man poster
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

Quincy Jones, Music Man

2025

The Weeknd: 103.5 Dawn FM poster
8.0

Live performance broadcast of The Weeknd's album Dawn FM.

The Weeknd: 103.5 Dawn FM

2022

The Weeknd: Lollapalooza Brazil poster
7.0

The Lollapalooza Brasil 2017 lineup has just been announced and features headliners Metallica, The Strokes and The Weeknd. Joining them are The Chainsmokers, Flume, Duran Duran and tons of others. This will be the festival’s sixth year in action. It takes place on March 25th and 26th Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo.

The Weeknd: Lollapalooza Brazil

2017

The Weeknd - Red Terror poster
NR

"Red Terror" visual picks up where "Open Hearts" leaves off. The Weeknd is portrayed as a mouthless child who appears to be chased by monsters through an ominous forest as he tries to shed his original form.

The Weeknd - Red Terror

2025

The Weeknd - iHeartRadio Music Festival poster
9.0

The Weeknd rocked the stage at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Festival! The 27-year-old superstar brought major energy to the stage on Friday night (September 22) with his smash hits like “Starboy,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “The Hills” and “I Feel It Coming,” as well as Starboy tracks “Reminder” and “Party Monster.”

The Weeknd - iHeartRadio Music Festival

2017

Echoes of Silence poster
8.5

The Weeknd Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary of ‘Echoes of Silence’ by Sharing Title-Track video. Directed by Kurando Furuya with creative direction from well-known Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, the CGI visual depicts robots existing in a post-apocalyptic world. Throughout the video, the robots dance and interact, even engaging in a Michelangelo Creation of Adam moment.

Echoes of Silence

2021

He Was Never There, Docupoem poster
NR

A short documentary capturing the recording sessions of The Weeknd's "My Dear Melancholy,"

He Was Never There, Docupoem

2018

The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience poster
7.2

Enter the experience of Dawn FM as The Weeknd performs his latest album live in a theatrically unsettled and unnerving world.

The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience

2022

Remember To Enjoy The Light Before It’s Gone poster
NR

In this reflective short film, the Weeknd speaks to his younger self, encouraging him to ask questions about the future and remember the light before it's all gone.

Remember To Enjoy The Light Before It’s Gone

2025

Canadian Hits at the BBC poster
5.0

It’s time to Canuck n’ Roll as we celebrate Canada Day with a trip through the best of the BBC’s music archives, exploring some of that great nation’s finest music stars.

Canadian Hits at the BBC

2021

The Weeknd: Live at São Paulo poster
8.1

A never-seen-before show in this special one-night only concert event, live from São Paulo.

The Weeknd: Live at São Paulo

2024

Billions Club Live with The Weeknd: A Concert Film poster
9.0

In this first-ever Billions Club Live concert film, The Weeknd delivers an unforgettable one-night-only performance, celebrating his record-breaking 25 tracks with over 1 billion streams each on Spotify — more than any other artist. Captured in stunning detail, the film features electrifying performances of his greatest hits, offering fans a front-row seat to this historic milestone. This iconic event is a celebration of The Weeknd’s unparalleled career and deep connection to music fans worldwide.

Billions Club Live with The Weeknd: A Concert Film

2025

The Show poster
NR

A look into the making of The Weeknd's 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The Show

2021

AWGE DVD: Volume 1 poster
8.0

First installment of the documentary like series from the A$AP Rocky founded creative agency AWGE

AWGE DVD: Volume 1

2017

Playboi Carti - Live at Rolling Loud California 2025 poster
NR

Playboi Carti performing MUSIC live at Rolling Loud California 2025.

Playboi Carti - Live at Rolling Loud California 2025

2025

Behind the camera