Euphoria: A Look Back (2026)

[bunniefuu]

[cameras clicking]

[Maude Apatow]

I don't think any of us knew...

-I'm Jacob Elordi.

-Angus Cloud.

-Storm Reid.

-...the impact that

Euphoria would have.

I'm 12 years old

and I am Ashtray.

I had no idea.

Like, at all. [chuckles]

It's kinda crazy.

I look back on it.

We were, like, literal babies.

-Wait, are you actually scared?

-Yes, b*tch!

[Jacob Elordi]

When you make a piece of art,

you don't know

what's gonna happen.

Hyah!

[Eric Deggans]

Sam is an expert

provocateur as a filmmaker.



[Sam Levinson]

You wanted to engage

the audience.

Everyone's gonna have

a different opinion.

-[screaming]

-Love yourself!

And that's the beauty

of it all.

[Alexa Demie]

It's like such a lucky feeling

to create something

that is this massive.

-[claps]

-I'm a huge fan of Euphoria

since the beginning.

How are you feeling tonight,

Coachella?

[Sam]

We wanted to get it right,

we wanted to make sure

we worked as hard

as we f*cking needed to.

Whoo!

Looking back on the show,

I'm incredibly proud

of what we accomplished.

[cheering and applause]

[running footsteps]

[Rue panting]

[Rue] What if you could go back

to the beginning?

-[sobbing]

-[videocassette whirring]

[interviewer] Okay, so give us

the origin story of Euphoria.

I think it was in 2016,

I got a call about an Israeli

format called Euphoria.

It was, you know,

kids behaving badly,

for lack of

a better description.

We decided to buy the format

and look for somebody...

who has their own take on it.

There was an executive that

worked in the drama department

named Christine Kim.

She had been aware of Sam's

rewrites for HBO films.

[Sam]

So, I go to sit down with

the head of HBO drama

Francesca Orsi.

And we just talk about

all of the f*cking bad sh*t

we both did

when we were teenagers.

At the end of the meeting,

she goes,

"Well, go write that."

I said, absolutely.

So, I took certain experiences,

people I had grown up with

and the kind of situations

you find yourself in

when drugs are your

primary motivation in life.

And I just put all of it

on-- on paper.

[Casey] Part of the opportunity

was to show

teenagers today

are dealing with a lot

that we didn't have

to deal with.

You add drugs, social media,

-smartphones

to that equation...

-[phones dinging]

...that's what cracked it

for us a little bit.

Addiction is

a universal story,

but putting it in high school

and having a high school

student deal with it

was what felt

somewhat revolutionary.

And I think it's only at HBO

could we have really

gone there.

[Sam]

They were all very excited

and they greenlit the show.

I'm Zendaya, I play Rue,

and we are here

for the Euphoria premiere.

[Sam]

When the show first came out,

you know, we got

pretty good reviews.

We had certain viewership,

but it wasn't through the roof.

And also an enormous amount

of controversy at the time.

Wanna get high?

[Sam] I remember going like,

ah, f*ck, you know,

this could go

either direction here.

It was right around the time

that Once Upon a Time

in Hollywood was coming out,

and Leonardo DiCaprio

was on the red carpet

and they said, you know,

"What have you been watching?"

I just saw Euphoria,

which is amazing.

That show is amazing.

[Sam] When he said that,

it was the first time

that the trajectory

of the show kinda changed.

We were an interesting show

that people had watched,

-some people had heard of.

-Goddammit!

[Sam]

But it wasn't popping yet.

And when he said that,

it sorta launched it

into, like, another

stratosphere.

Something shifted.

Getting a show out

is a small miracle.

So, I was happy when

it got the reception it did.

A big part of that,

I think, was the cast.



I'm Jacob Elordi,

and I'm 6'4".

-Hi, my name is Nika King.

-I'm Storm Reid.

I'm 12 years old

and I am Ashtray.

When we started casting,

we did very extensive search

for who these actors were.

-Oops.

-[Sam] You know,

we just sorta looked

for fresh faces and people

who hadn't necessarily

acted before,

but had a kind of,

a raw charisma to them.

Do you think my areolas

are weird?

-No!

-You're not even looking.

[Sam] And it was rounds

and rounds of auditions.

Mom, I'm literally going

to poison you in your sleep.

Sydney Sweeney,

she originally read for Maddy.

Do you think most people

are, like, 100% straight or...

And then we had asked her to

put herself on tape for

Cassie.

Oh, my God, Mom, stop!

When I auditioned

for Euphoria,

I didn't know what kind

of character Cassie was.

I talked to Sam,

and I found that I had

a really deep care for her,

and that was kind of

the beginning of it.

Why is everyone,

like, so dramatic?

Alexa, I just remember

meeting her, and her

coming in to read,

and her having

a very unique personality.

[clapping]

The first scene that, uh,

I had to go in and do

was the carnival scene

for a large group of people.

Yeah, I'm not supposed

to be here right now

because I'm dressed

like a hooker

and none of you like me.

I don't know what got into me,

but I was, like, charged.

And I looked at all of them,

and I said what I needed to say.

So, if they got

something to say,

they should just say it

to my face, right?

[Sam] I fell in love

with the character,

and suddenly

the possibilities

for where it could go

just became endless.

[Suze]

You look beautiful.

I don't know.

[chuckles nervously]

[Sam] Maude Apatow,

you can see all of the,

the sort of criticisms

she's launching at herself

in a given scene,

which then just, you know,

deepens the character.

You think she's, like,

a bad influence?

[Maude]

I just remember being

so nervous and so insecure.

I just wish I could have, like,

relaxed a little bit more.

That would have avoided a lot

of, uh, unnecessary energy.

The f*ck are you looking at?

[Mary] Jacob Elordi,

he was new to us

because he's from Australia.

Who the f*ck is that?

[Jacob]

I was getting ready to go home

and Euphoria was my last

audition that I had.

Yo, somebody better speak up,

or this b*tch

is gonna get f*cked up.

[Sam] He had sort of given up

on acting

and he was, I think,

living in his car.

He came in and he was just

so f*cking good

-and committed.

-Did you r*pe her?

-No.

-Did you f*cking r*pe her?!

[Jacob]

And I remember I got so red,

'cause I get so nervous.

He liked that, apparently.

[laughing] Come on.

I was driving home,

and then I got a call from--

from my agent, and he was like,

"Can you get back to the--

to the casting office?"

And I was like...

I whipped that car around.

Yo, I'd do it for Rue!

[kiss smacking]

And it all just kind of,

uh, it panned out.

[Mary]

It was such a great challenge

to try to discover

all the new talent

and make them

all fit together as one.

It made sense to see what

was out there in the real world.

And so, we worked

with Jennifer Venditti,

who was doing

the street casting.

A24 approached me and said,

like, Sam had wanted

to kind of use

my philosophy of casting

'cause I had developed

this idea of street scouting.

I'm 17 years old.

Some people just need

they a*s whupped, like,

you know what I mean?

-[Jennifer]

I had scouts, like, all over.

-Two thumbs up.

[Jennifer] One day,

one of the young women

that works for me,

she saw these two guys,

gave them my business card

and said, like,

"If you're interested,

you should go by here."

And then the next day

I was at my office,

and Angus walked in.

My name's Angus Cloud...

and I'm from Oakland,

California.

Oakland, USA.

You get what I'm saying?

[Sam] So, I remember the first

tape that I saw of him.

The scout had said, "Can you

give me your, you know,

your name and height?"

Alright, my name Angus Cloud.

And I'm about 5'12".

I thought,

perfect, cast him.

[Jennifer] Hunter...

well, you know,

when we were looking for her,

it was a very hard role

to fill.

And then, I began

to reach out to people

in the fashion industry

that I knew.

And she was a person

that had come up.

See? I'm f*cking invincible.

[scene partner]

You're a f*cking psychopath.

We sort of all instantly knew,

oh, this is Jules.

Rue?

I have, like,

the best news ever.

[Hunter Schafer] Yeah,

I'd never really acted before,

and I was kind of just

playing it like myself.

I got the sense pretty fast

that that's what they wanted.

I remember getting the role

and being like,

holy sh*t, yeah!

And then immediately after

is like,

oh, my f*cking God, dread,

because now

I have to do it.

[Mary] Zendaya was on

Sam's vision board for Rue.

Her representatives

were a little bit nervous

about the material

and it being so edgy.

[Zendaya] I had just kind of

finished a phase of my career.

I was like, oh sh*t.

Like, I have to be an actor now.

I don't know

what I'm gonna do next,

and nobody really believes yet

that I can do

what I think I can do,

and I don't quite know

if I can do it either.

And then, I read a little thing

called Euphoria,

and I was like,

I have to be a part of this.

[photographers shouting]

[photographer]

Now the stairs!

[Hunter Harris]

Before Euphoria,

Zendaya was

a Disney Channel actress.

At the 2019 Met Gala,

she appeared

as, like, Cinderella.

And it did feel like sort of

a graduation day

from the Disney roots.

I think a lot of child actors

spend time shedding an image,

and I think the things

that make you successful

as like a child actor

sometimes don't make you

successful as an adult actor.

You know, you're hiding

your emotions.

You're playing

with more nuance.

Rick, I sincerely apologize

for telling you

to go f*ck yourself.

What I really meant to say

is that my mom can do better

and I hate seeing you sit

in the chair my dad sat in.

[Sam] Early on,

I sent the pilot over to her.

She called

and she was very emotional.

And she was saying, you know,

"Just watched the pilot,

"and I always felt like

I had this in me

"that I could give

a performance like this.

"I just-- I never

had any proof.

And now, I have proof."

It was a big emotional moment,

and I think-- that's how I

think we all approached it

from every department,

from the cast to myself.

You know, we all had

something to prove.

Yeah. It's gonna be

a good night tonight, man.

Let's get this money.

[Sam] I have to be honest,

I was scared to death

through a good portion

of sh**ting season one.

So, the same way that you take

the money with both hands.

I believed in the vision

for the show.

I believed that it would work.

But it was enormously

difficult.

[crew] And background moving,

and action.

[Sam] I wanted to draw on,

not necessarily

our own real memories

of what high school was like...

but more of the shared memories

that we have as a culture.

That was one

of the sort of mottos we had

for season one,

was, "f*ck reality."

It's about how

high school feels.

It's not about how it is

or what it is.

[Marcell Rv]

That first season,

we were figuring out who we

are, I think, in a way.

We experimented

with a lot of things.

[director] [voice echoing]

That's a cut!

[dramatic music playing]

[Marcell] There were a lot

of teen shows out there,

and some of them

were mimicry to me,

or they were just not

courageous enough.

Oops!

[Marcell] We just wanted

to give a little justice

to-- to this generation,

how we thought they think

about themselves.

[Maddy] Honestly,

f*ck that whole family.

-[Cassie] For real.

-'Cause right now,

I'm looking at a thousand

versions of myself,

and not only do I look good,

I f*cking feel good.

Me too, b*tch.

[Sam]

Season one, we were going

for like a real kind of cocaine

manic energy to it.

[crew] Cameras and mark.

[Sam] Season two,

it gets a little darker.

-Rue! Rue!

-I can't do this.

-[car horns honking]

-I'm sorry, Mom, I can't.

I can't do it.

-Rue, get back in the car!

-I'm sorry.

-Rue!

-Oh, God!

-[car horns honking]

-[tires screeching]

[Sam] We wanted to create

a certain sort of roughness

and a darkness to it,

because season two,

we're leaving

the magical part behind

and we're entering

the depths of addiction.

I kept seeing it like a memory

that was fading away,

that-- that there was like

a darkness

on the edge of the frames

that was eclipsing

the characters.

Let's f*cking do this.

[Marcell] It's a totally

different approach.

It was more of like an

adult look at teenage-hood...

I raised you!

[Marcell]

...rather than teenagers

talking about themselves.

And you do not

f*cking scare me!

Season one and season two,

we were very subjective.

We were inside

the characters' heads.

Gracias, mi amigos!

-[man] S! S!

-[Rue laughing]

[Sam] Season three

is sort of like a--

an Old Testament-inspired

Western.

[Western music playing]

I wanted us to be not inside

their heads anymore,

but outside, observing them

in the world.

They're out of high school

and they're in the Wild West.

There's no safety net.

No one's gonna

come save them.

It's a wide-open world

and anything can happen.

You walk up into my house,

dance with my girls,

and you don't even

introduce yourself.

I'm so sorry.

[Marcell] I always thought

about this as a little bit

of an homage

of American cinema.

-Hi.

-You look amazing.

[Marcell] We want it

to be like a broader,

wider tableau

of contemporary American life

in a different way.

-[g*nsh*t]

-[Alamo] Whoo!

Oh, man.

[Marcell] We wanted

rich, colorful images.

We wanted to have

these beautiful landscapes.

Big skies, wide horizon.

I-I hope it gives you

this feeling

of classic American cinema.

[Nate]

Look who the cat dragged in.

You got anything to drink?

At the end of the day, we've got

a couple of guiding

principles,

which is, we don't wanna

repeat ourselves.

We don't wanna tell

the same story.

We don't wanna do

what we know works

just because

we've done it before.

We wanna continue

to sort of push ourselves,

push the narrative,

push the performances.

I wanna make sure

that we're always evolving.

Man, I miss high school.

[Maddy] I don't.

[Sam]

We took a similar approach

with our makeup department

and our costume department.

Rue, you look f*cking amazing.

What the f*ck

are we talking for?

[Ashley Levinson]

Sam's inspired by anything.

It can be from a set

that he's shown

or a costume

that's presented,

or a makeup look.

It just all helps

inform the story.

Do you like it?

[Donni Davy] We wanted

the makeup on this show

to really, like, become alive

and, like, say something

about what the characters

were thinking

and going through.

They're real,

they're relatable.

The makeup is so a part of

the character coming to life.

There.

[Jules chuckles]

I missed you so much.

[Sydney Sweeney]

We have mood boards

upon mood boards

all over the trailer.

We'll either draw inspiration

from the costume

or we'll find inspiration

from the nails.

And all is just like

this big, huge production

that is put together

just for one look.

But it'll be an iconic look.

[Suze]

Look at you, wow!

[Heidi Bivens] One of

the challenges was to be able

to find some way visually

to create a world

that was visually stimulating,

but also being grounded

so that people weren't pulled

out of the story.

The goal is to take her

from the suburbs to the city.

[all] Cool.

Instead of building one world,

we're kind of building

different worlds

for each character,

and they all get to co-mingle

and become Euphoria.

What the f*ck

are we talking for?

Iconic looks are what

Euphoria's whole brand is

when it comes to their makeup

and costumes,

that the hair

had to be something.

What the f*ck

are we squabbling for?

[Kim] One of the things

Sam said early on,

you know, "I wanna go there

and be innovative."

So, that was

really the approach,

we wanna go next level,

trendsetting,

and just different.

[whispering]

Oh my God, it's perfect.

[Alexa] I grew up

with fashion and beauty,

and Euphoria,

it felt like playtime.

It was just this

beautiful dreamland

of, like,

jewels on your eyes,

wear crazy colors.

Just what are

your biggest fantasies

that you would like

to see on film?

And you're just free to play.

[Rosalia]

It's in our clothes,

our hair, the face,

the creativity is on the front.

And then, I think the music,

it's the center of it all,

it's that freedom

and that... "poof."

[Sam] When writing the pilot,

I was trying to figure out

what the sound

of the show was.

And in my head, I kept hearing

some sort of mixture

of, like, Danny Elfman's

Edward Scissorhands score

mixed with, like,

Kanye's Yeezus.

[dramatic music playing]

When I would talk

to composers about it,

a lot of them seemed like

they had no f*cking idea

what I was talking about.

And I went out

to-- to dinner with Lab,

and immediately,

he understood it.

He liked the idea

that I was really

expressive

with my arrangements.

And so he was like,

I think you might have the idea

of how to merge different

genres and styles

in a kind of like

modern way.

I literally started

thinking of ideas

as soon as I spoke to him.

And he like pulls out his phone

and starts to hum something

into his-- into his voice

notes.

Feel the morning

on my face

Ain't a pill

that I didn't take

[Sam] It's that thing

you're always looking for,

is, you know,

you throw out an idea

and then someone takes that

idea and runs with it.

[Labrinth]

He kind of just said,

"Lab, I just want you

to do you."

And so I was writing

before I was in the studio.

I felt like I knew

exactly what he wanted.

[Sam] He sent over music

that he had at the time,

and we just started

breaking it apart,

cutting in just his voice

a cappella.

You're a dead man

[Sam]

These little

choral arrangements

things like that.

You gonna run game,

it don't ever run you

[Sam] And it felt like,

you know, the show

suddenly gained its wings.

Had a kind of an emotional,

kinda heavenly quality to it,

which I think

is a nice juxtaposition to,

you know, darkness that

the show can sometimes have.

[dramatic, electronic

music playing]

In the first two seasons,

in a way, Labrinth's music

sort of spoke

to the mysterious heart

of a teenager.

[dramatic music

continues playing]

Going into season three,

Sam wanted there to be

a musical palette

that could match

the visual palette.

Hans Zimmer has essentially

made a name

for-- in working

on that epic scale.



[Sam] For season three,

I wanted something

that created

a cohesive element

from the beginning

to the end

and evoked sort of an old

Hollywood sensibility,

you know, something

that isn't as fashionable,

but has its own

kind of magic and allure.

[Jason Reitman]

Most television shows,

they don't know what they are

in their infancy.

Yeah, they all know

what's up

Yeah, they all know

what's up

[Jason] Euphoria knew exactly

what it was from moment one.

What, you think 'cause I went

to rehab, I stayed clean?

[Jason] Its color, its design,

the tone of the show,

its ability to be

extraordinarily explicit.

Sam's someone

who has never written

or directed

with any barriers in mind,

and that's a really important

type of storyteller,

because they are

the storytellers

that tell us what is allowed.

They tell us what a movie

or a TV show is capable of.

Let me not go too far

Yo, yo, how 'bout you come

and ride on this d*ck?

-[Nate laughing]

-Yo, Nate, chill, bro.

Come on, man.

[Casey] You know,

when the show came out,

I definitely got

a lot of worry.

Any time there's hand-wringing,

sometimes a sign

of something good to come.

There should be hand-wringing,

there should be worry,

because it means you're doing

something dangerous or new.

When I wrote a review

for NPR.org,

and I used the phrase,

"Euphoria is a parent's

worst nightmare."

I think people

who watch the show

knew exactly what

I was getting at.

It's the idea

that these teenagers

have sort of this secret life

that the adults in their life

are mostly unaware of,

and it's a life that is filled

with explicit behavior, uh,

that, of course, parents would

hope their kids were not doing.

[Hunter Harris]

A lot of people were saying

it's like romanticizing

or glamorizing drugs,

and alcohol,

and sex, and partying,

and all of this stuff.

-And I'm like...

-f*ck!

...I'm sorry, were we watching

the same show?

[sobbing] I just wanna die!

[Hunter Harris] It makes all

of these things look terrible.

It makes being a teenager

look like a terrible time,

which it honestly is.

You did this to me!

[Sam] There were so many

responses to it.

Parent Television Council

was upset with us.

People from the religious

community upset with us,

from the left, from the right.

Across the board,

there was an enormous amount

-of kind of pushback.

-Get off of me!

[Sam] You kinda go,

we don't create characters

by like, you know, a composite

of every single

Gen Z person in the world.

We're not trying to tell

a story that's representative

of all teenagers.

We're telling it about these

specific, unique characters,

these sort of misfits,

and f*ck-ups, and outsiders.

Oh, sh*t, that's the girl

who tried to commit suicide

-at McKay's.

-[both] Wait, what?

Oh, yeah, I forgot.

You guys both was f*cking.

[Dr. Judith Joseph]

Critics and parents who say

that this

is hard to watch,

I-- I can validate

that it is hard to watch.

But it's necessary

to talk about these things.

There used to be this thinking

that, like, if you talk

about substance use,

they're gonna use drugs.

If you talk about sex,

they're gonna have sex.

But we now know that

that's not the case.

Rue, why'd you call me?

I didn't really have

anybody else to call.

[Judith]

When you actually talk

about these issues,

without judgment,

without stigma,

openly, and you're curious,

that actually decreases

risky behavior.

I think the show is bigger than

just its sort of sexual quality.

It is about people

trying to find their voice

and find agency

over their body,

and figuring out what we

all have proclivities towards.

Let me know when you wanna

stop trying to k*ll yourself.

Sam is an expert provocateur

as a filmmaker.

He is often presenting

the audience

with images that challenge

them.

-Five!

-[Eric] That's one reason

-why people...

-Four!

...respond to Sam so strongly.

Three!

-[Eric] It's so obvious

that Euphoria...

-Two!

-...is a creation of his vision.

-One. Boom!

-[both gasp]

You a cold m*therf*cker.

[g*nsh*t]

This business, it becomes

personal in a way.

You have to

accept criticism...

-[knocking]

-...as part of the world

you're in.

Are you okay?

You're so f*cking stupid, Lexi.

He's dealing with something

that he knows very well.

He's writing the characters

with all of their

vulnerability...

[sobbing] I really need

to come home, Mom.

[Barry Levinson]

...and pushing, you know,

the envelope...

-Bang!

-[actors gasp]

...to that world.

He's never looking for

the shock value of something.

He's looking for the situation

that exposes and embellishes

a character and a behavior

to the darker side

or to the lighter side,

which hadn't been done much

in terms

of high school films

we've seen.

That was the noise

that he made

and the risk

that he wanted to take.

[doctor] All done.

[Barry]

You're never going to appeal

to all the people all the time.

[smacking]

You move past that

and-- and you just get on with

the work of the day.

[multiple reporters]

We have a warning about

a new show pushing...

-It's called Euphoria.

-This is the real deal.

And it's targeted to teens.

Creator Sam Levinson

remained committed

to making an exceptional

third season.

This might not be

the show for you.

[Sam] What was exciting

is all of those responses

sort of fueled

all these other responses.

So, it became this thing

that continued

to generate conversation.

Let's get the f*ck outta here.

-Come on.

-[laughing]

[Sam]

As a filmmaker, the only goal

is you wanna tell

a great, entertaining story,

and you want people

to talk about it.

Oh, my f*cking God.

-What?

-That's him.

[Sam] Everyone's gonna

have a different opinion.

That's the beauty of it all.

You just want to make sure

you're continuing

to engage

the audience.

[all laughing]

I'm a burden,

and it is what it is.

And it's embarrassing

and it's stupid, but, um,

it's true, so I'm sorry.

[Sam] You know, we were like

a controversial

bad kid kinda show.

And the Emmy goes to...

Zendaya, Euphoria.

[cheering and applause]

[Sam] When Zendaya

won that Emmy,

I mean, it was just like

an expl*si*n of emotion.

All the work,

all the preparation.

[Sam] You know,

I-I remember I was at home

with Ash, my wife.

I mean, we just looked

at each other

and just started crying.

To the incredible cast

and crew of Euphoria,

um, I'm so lucky to go

to work with you every day,

and I'm inspired

by everything you do.

And we both started sobbing

because it was this

beautiful validation.

And Sam realized there's a lot

more story he wanted to tell,

and that was the birth

of season two.

[Zendaya laughing]

[cheering and applause]

[Sam] After season one,

there was a certain momentum

with the show,

and we were eager

to get back to work.

We were a day away from starting

production on season two

when COVID hit

and shut us down.

We wanted to get

everyone working again,

so I talked to HBO.

They said, "Fine,

you can go sh**t

an episode for five days."

So, I said, okay, well,

what story can I tell

in five days?

Whatever limitations

or restrictions we had,

as a filmmaker,

you just gotta work around.

We ended up building

these character portraits

of two individuals at sort of

different places

in their lives,

how they see each other,

and how they see themselves.

The first one

that came to mind

was just Ali and Rue

sitting at a diner talking.

I had written like the first,

I think 15 pages.

It was supposed to go

in an episode in season two,

and I just started to run

with the idea

of, well, what if we just

never leave the diner?

D and E, camera mark.

[Sam] Two misfits, in a way,

sitting at a diner,

talking about what addiction

has cost them in their lives.

And action.

Ali, I picked up

a piece of glass.

I pointed it at my mom...

and I told her

I was gonna k*ll her.

[Sam]

It was a really dark time.

I thought of all the people

who aren't able

to leave their house,

the amount of people

struggling with depression...

addiction...

and those who were in

a*usive situations.

I wanted Ali to deal

with some of these things

in a more sort of philosophical

and metaphysical way.

[Ali] Your whole system's

on the verge of collapse,

and the addict in you is trying

to sell you on the same sh*t

that got you sick

in the first place.

Your only hope is a revolution.

But a real f*cking revolution

inside and out.

But you gotta see it through.

[Colman Domingo]

I read it and I--

I started crying.

And I thought, oh,

what he's delivered

is a sermon.

It's a prayer for all of us.

You said you weren't gonna

be here much longer.

Okay, then.

How do you want your mom

and sister to remember you?

That special episode

is not just about addiction.

It really is about

our humanity.

I got faith in you.

[sniffling]

Why?

It is about us having faith,

especially at a time

that we all have questions

and we're all struggling.

-[Zendaya] Good job,

guys, we did it.

-[crew] Wow.

And we're all trying to find

out what the next step is.

Thank you guys

for a great sh**t.

It truly felt important.

[Zendaya] See you soon.

[people chattering]

[Sam] Well, there we go. COVID.

At least we know

how to do this once now.

-[Zendaya] See you soon.

-[crew] See you soon.

[Sam] Let's roll camera!

[crew] Yep, speeding.

And... action!

[Sam] Jules' special episode,

you know, I had envisioned

getting kind of a window

into her kind of inner life.

Hunter obviously has a very

unique and interesting story.

You know, I thought if I was

gonna do this-- this episode,

it would be

interesting to sort of,

you know, bring her on

as a collaborator.

We would just sorta talk about

her life and--

and the character,

and tried to find

this sort of poetic

kind of free-form structure

for this episode.

[people chattering]

That was my first experience

really screenwriting.

And I really kind of

fell in love with it.

I was able to sort of channel

a lot of the like, you know,

kind of unique feelings

about like being a trans woman

and how confusing

that can be sometimes.

How the f*ck did I spend

my entire life building this?

Like... [sighs]

Like my body, and my

personality, and, like...

my soul around

what I think men desire.

COVID was really hard on me,

and that time brought up a lot.

Were you thinking about

hurting yourself?

[Schafer]

I'd been, you know, struggling

for a good chunk of it,

and was able

to pour a lot of that pain

into the episode.

Sorry, um...

I am glad we did it

because, like,

I know that I would have

f*cking loved that episode

as a young trans girl.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I should go.

-[door slams closed]

-[Colman] I was at the gym

and this bro came over to me,

and he said,

"I just wanted to say

I'm such a huge fan of yours,

"and in particular,

that scene you did with Zendaya,

that special episode."

I said, yeah.

He said,

"It means so much for me.

I'm a recovering addict."

And he started to tremble.

He was so emotionally

overwhelmed.

I said, "Come here, come here.

We're gonna hug it out."

He says, "You get gym dudes come

up to you crying all the

time?"

I said, no, but it's okay.

I know the work

that I'm a part of.

[Judith] I think fans

have emotional connections

to these characters because

the characters in themselves

are portrayed

in a very empathic way.

Rue, open the door!

[Judith]

They're not just this

two-dimensional clich.

Rue!

[Judith]

And so, you see Rue as someone

who struggles with addiction,

but she's also playful.

She's silly,

she's loyal, she's lovable.

She's not demonized.

And I think that's why

a lot of people

who have struggles

similar to these characters,

I think that's why

they appreciate it,

because they're not seen

as necessarily all bad.

They're seen in full ways.

I really missed you.

[Sam] You always hope

that whatever you do

is not just gonna

be entertaining,

but it's also gonna be

inspiring in some way.

Thank you to Sam Levinson

for writing a character

like Ali for me.

[Sam] It gave everybody

a real sense of confidence

that what we were doing

was hitting the culture

in a new way.

[Sam] Uh, and just take

two steps back here.

-She kisses you.

-Okay.

I think you're still

disturbed by her.

Okay.

[indistinct chatter, laughter]

[Sam] Most television shows,

the first season,

they push buttons,

and there's nudity,

and there's sex.

And then by season two,

you know, they're a little more

buttoned up,

a little more PC.

And our desire was,

how can we let everyone know...

we didn't grow up?

I'm the bad guy

-Hi.

-Duh

[Sam] f*ck you, we know

what your complaints were.

We don't give a sh*t.

We're gonna push it

even further.

-[glass breaking]

-[people gasping and shouting]

-[knocking]

-[heavy breathing]

[Hunter Harris]

Prior to season two premiering,

there was so much hype.

What could Euphoria

season two look like?

What direction could it go?

How could it feel?

And would it be able to, like,

recapture the same magic?

So you're a tough guy

And also because so many

of the stars in Euphoria

had become such big stars

in real life...

-That's what's up.

-...there was so much,

um, anticipation.

[fan]

What the f*ck?

[Hunter Harris] The premiere,

it crashed the HBO app.

b*tch, you better be joking.

[Hunter Harris]

Season two was crowned

the most social show on TV.

People were so passionate.

Tell her off, Maddy!

Tell her off!

[Hunter Harris]

Sunday night was a night

to watch Euphoria.

Would you like a ride

to this party?

No! Oh, my God, no!

[Hunter Harris]

Immediately when you

get on the internet,

there's like, photos,

videos, memes, tweets.

-Nate Jacobs is her ex.

-Yeah.

The fans were ravenous.

-Oh!

-[fans exclaiming]

Hold on, pause.

Fandom for teen shows,

that's not new.

But, like,

the level of specificity,

the level of time the fans had

to talk about Euphoria online

felt really constant,

and also unique.

Stranger

[Hunter Harris]

There was that TikTok trend,

the "Still Don't Know my Name"

transition.

[Maude] Thousands of people

are making, like, makeup videos

to this song, like, what?

There's somebody on Instagram

that would do Barbie

recreations of scenes.

[Maude]

There's a lot of cool fan art.

Gosh, is my left eye massive

compared to my right eye?

New insecurity unlocked.

For it to have become

a cultural flashpoint,

and then a touchstone.

b*tch, you better be joking.

Things that are joked about

on nighttime shows.

Are you okay?

No! Yes! [Bleep] it.

I'm in love with Nate Jacobs

and he's in love with me.

And don't you [bleep] give me

that look, Maddy!

There's no way I expected that.

[Cal] Your mother's the one

who showed me.

Euphoria was everywhere.

[Cassie] I am crazier!

[Ashley] One of Sam and I's

favorite thing to do

is when we're traveling,

we always take pictures

with the actors'

campaign photos,

and there's always, like,

a sweetness to that,

that they've been embraced

both in film and television,

but also in fashion.

I just can't get you out

of my head, boy, it's...

[Sydney] I noticed the impact

on pop culture

a little bit after season one.

I would go to fashion shows.

They were heavily influenced

by Euphoria.

The lighting, the music,

the makeup.

[Hunter Schafer]

Fashion is one of

the great loves of my life.

Working with designers

that are like gods in my head

is pretty thrilling.

[Colman] Zendaya has been

co-chair of the Met Gala,

and then the following year,

I was the co-chair

of the Met Gala.

I think we both have a sense of

play and understanding style,

and also that's part

of storytelling.

And I think that's what

our-- our costume designers

and our hair and makeup team

does so very well

with Euphoria.

The miracles have begun.

-[laughing]

-[mugs clinking]

-Amen.

-Hallelujah.

It's been incredible to watch

the reaction to Euphoria,

because I think in the same way

that Sam has been inspired

by art, and music,

and architecture, and film,

to see it mirrored back

has been incredibly rewarding.

There's a huge opportunity

to reach

an even bigger audience.

[Sam] How are you

feeling tonight, Coachella?

[cheering and applause]

[Ashley] And for us to have

something tangible

that the audience

can take away

to create a more

cinematic experience,

it's a dream come true.

[Sam] We put our heart and

souls into this season,

and, uh, we're extremely

proud of it.

[Hunter Harris]

The fact that Euphoria,

after years

off the air, can come back

and still be

I think its own

cultural conversation

is kind of crazy.

The only thing I can promise

is wherever you think

this season's going,

it's going a little further.

-Thank you.

-[cheering and applause]

Euphoria is the series

that really meets the zeitgeist

of what's happening

in the world.

What you see on television

directly impacts the way

we see one another.

[Sharon Stone]

Euphoria offers

the generation empathy.

That's what I think

makes it different.

Bye.

Skeletons in the closet

And it offers us

an opportunity to see

why do young people think

and feel this way?

-[laughter]

-[Sharon] And then we're going

inside their rooms,

inside their lives.

And we're viewing it

with care,

and tenderness, and humor.

We're not judging.

We're feeling with them.

And I think that is something

that's very different.

[chuckles]

[Sydney] Sam uses all

the different characters

to be able to tap

into those emotions

and-- and the fears

and the questions

that are being asked.

I think that's kind of

what makes it

so relevant and so powerful.

[Sam] Uh, let's just do

a rehearsal and nail that

and then we'll--

we'll continue on.

And, uh, so we'll take it

from the top here.

Alright, let's give it a shot.

[crew] And action!

[drum roll]

But our life.

Wait, is this f*cking play

about us?

[Sam] I honestly believe

that one of the reasons

that this show

found a certain success

across all the seasons

is that even

if you're not a drug addict...

[screaming]

...everyone knows

what addiction feels like.

Euphoria serves everything up

as addiction.

Love is a million things.

Sometimes it feels good,

sometimes it doesn't.

People think that

it's always about drugs.

No, it could be your phone.

It could be certain behaviors.

It could be sex, whatever.

See, I'm not a mess,

but I do love a fight.

[Sam]

Even on a subconscious level,

you understand

being wed to something

that is not making you happy,

that is making you depressed.

She's not good for you,

you're not good for her,

and I will do everything

I can to prevent it.

[whimpering]

[Zendaya] Where I think often

when it comes to addiction,

we forget that that person

is a human,

and that person feels

and goes through things,

and there's a reason

why they are the way they are.

The show overall

I think allows us

to have a little bit

more empathy for people

and understanding for people.

Sam does a beautiful job

in showing, like,

this is not easy.

Leslie's pain comes

from a real place.

-Don't you f*cking touch her!

-[smacking]

Because he-- he knows

what it's like.

-[Jules] I love you.

-No, the f*ck you don't.

You love being loved.

[Sam] You know, there were

definitely a lot of things

that-- that I drew on

from my own life

or own experiences.

My body is a cage

[Sam]

I do know what it's like

to be institutionalized

as-- as a kid.

You know, to be on medication

when you're young.

I wanted to show the loneliness

and the kind of darkness

of being an addict...

-[whispering] It's okay, Rue.

-[Rue shuddering]

[Sam]

...and be able to separate

who they are

and their actions...

from who they may wanna be.

My body is a cage

That keeps me from dancing

With the one I love

I'm extremely proud of what

we accomplished on season two,

and I think we really did

reach new heights

in terms of the show.

I just wanna say thank you

to everyone who has shared

their story with me.

I want you to know

that anyone who has loved a Rue

or, um, feels like

they are a Rue,

I want you to know that I'm

so grateful for your stories,

and I carry them with me,

and I carry them with her.

-So, thank you so much.

-[cheering and applause]

[Sam]

Season two was a success,

but it was never exactly

what I wanted it to be.

And I don't say that in like

a-- a regretful way, it's...

[clicking tongue]

You know, it, uh,

it was-- it was a tough one.

Yo, man, I don't know

what's been going on

with you, Rue,

and Jules and sh*t...

but you should know

I really do care about her.

[Sam]

I had written the scripts

for all eight episodes,

and Angus was really

struggling, um, with

addiction.

He had that head injury

and he would get

these migraines,

and it would inevitably

lead him back to doing drugs,

taking pills,

that kind of stuff.

And so, it was--

it was really tough.

And I have a lot of empathy

for-- for people

who are going through

addiction.

I heard you got raided.

But they ain't find

nothin' though.

[Sam]

You know, the other thing is...

the character of Fezco

was supposed to die

at the end of season one.

So, we all good?

[Sam] And...

I just-- I loved Angus...

so much.

And I always worried that

if I k*lled the character...

he wouldn't have anything

to look forward to.

So, season one, okay,

you know, I kept him alive.

-Don't move!

-Hands up!

Drop the knife now!

[Sam] Season two, you know,

he's gotta die at the end,

-and it was this whole thing.

-Please, don't sh**t!

I gave him the pages

and it was like...

this cloud that was--

it was sort of hovering

over him.

Like two hours later,

I was like,

"Alright, f*ck it, Angus,

I can't do it."

Fezco lives.

He said, "Well, what are you

gonna do?"

I said,

"Well, I'm gonna k*ll Ashtray."

He's like, "Damn, that's dark,"

you know? [chuckles]

[reporter] TMZ is reporting

that Angus Cloud,

the actor made famous

on the HBO show Euphoria,

has died.

[somber music playing]

[Eric Dane]

We lost a cast member.

We lost a very talented

young man, Angus Cloud.

That was tough on all of us.

It's Euphoria. Yeah.

[Maude]

Getting to work with Angus

was like one of the great

privileges of my life.

I got something

in my f*cking eye.

[laughing]

...is dark

-[both chuckle]

-And the moon

[Fezco singing along]

Is the only

He was such

a special person,

and so kind,

and so, like, grounding...

in the group.

["Stand By Me"

continues playing]

Like, the night

that it happened,

we all had each other

and called each other,

and that was, like, everything.

Just as long as you stand

Stand by me

[both singing]

Darling, darling

Stand by me

Oh, stand by me

[Sam] Part of the reason that,

that I made this season is...

is for Angus.

[sniffling]

[Angus]

Best part of my life?

Just the love that I have

to give and to receive,

you know what I'm saying?

Everywhere.

You know, surrounded by it.

[crew] We're finishing

our dirt redress.

[Sam] Season three

is about fentanyl...

and how many people's...

lives, um...

a-are being taken by it.

It's about salvation...

and the sort of moral choices

we make.

And... action!

It's about redemption,

but not just in

a theoretical or academic way,

but in a...

but in a real way.

-Great, great work.

-[crew] Here we go.

-Right away. And...

-[Sam] Go again.

[Sam] Whatever mistakes

and things

you've made in your life

leading up to now

doesn't define who you can be

if you decide to change.

-[Rue inhales sharply]

-[Bishop] If I were you,

I'd stay real still.

[Sam]

And we're sort of building

to the end of the story.

That's also

what's exciting about it.

-[g*nsh*t]

-[gasps]

-[g*nsh*t echoing]

-Ooh! Ooh!

[laughing]

Whoo! [laughing continues]

[gentle music playing]

[Sam]

I think what was most exciting

was going back to the set...

to work with this incredible

cast of-- of actors.

[Maude] The wedding scene,

it was really emotional.

Like, I remember

I was walking down the aisle

and got to the front,

and, like, looked down

and saw, like,

everyone in the cast.

We just are sort of connected

in a very deep way and have

been through a lot together.

[applause]

I'm so, like, happy

for everyone's success.

Everyone is doing so well

and getting to do what

they've always wanted to do.

Yeah. Right?

[Sam] To hear filmmakers

and directors,

you know, who I idolize,

talk about how great they are,

is just f*cking amazing.

And to see the hard work

and the creativity pay off

in-- in such a big way

is-- is exciting.

[Ashley] We've really always

had each other's backs

and-- and we support each other

and we root for each other.

Serious face?

I think someone

has to take it of us.

Eric had called Sam

right before we were sh**ting

and he had

shared his diagnoses.

[Sam] He told me that he had

been diagnosed with ALS.

You know, I said to him

I loved him

and, uh, I would take him

in whatever way

he wanted to show up.

And action.

I feel loved,

mostly by my scotch.

Oh.

[Ashley] Eric is such

a talented actor, um,

and so great with comedy.

Now, yell out for the waiter!

Waiter!

-Hey, waiter!

-[Sam] Round three!

-[Eric] Round three!

-Ooh! Yeah.

He was just brilliant.

It was a pretty

humbling thing to witness.

-[Sam] Action!

-[Eric] Alright.

I'm gonna keep drinking.

You keep drinking.

-Nate, I love you.

-[applause]

[Eric] Working on this show

has been the most profound

experience of my career.

We could live

I "Juana"

make love to you, girl!

For a thousand years

It was, you know,

at times, challenging.

Huh?!

But the challenges

were taken as opportunities.

Do you mind if I just leave?

It's been just such

a wonderful experience.

[Sam] He gave an incredible

f*cking performance

across all the seasons.

You are a part of me...

I will never understand.

[Sam] He showed up

every day with grace

and dignity, and excited

to do the work.

He was a wonderful human being.

He was a wonderful actor.

I'll see you assholes later.

["Never Tear Us Apart"

continues, ends]

[door closes]

-[people chattering]

-Lexi.

[crew] I don't think we need

a ten-piece on Lexi.

b*tch one. My b*tch two.

-Oh, my God. Rude!

-My b*tch three.

Get off my bed!



[Sam]

We've been through so much.

We've had so many ups

and downs,

and you really get to know

who these people are

on the inside.

It's an incredibly

beautiful experience.

You know, we've always had

an extraordinarily gifted cast.

And I've known these actors

since back when

they were just dreamers,

when they dreamed

of having a career.

-You guys, thank you so much!

-Yeah, thank you, guys!

[Sydney]

I grew up with Euphoria.

I did the pilot when I was 20.

As an actor, it's made me

push myself further

to be confident,

to take risks and be okay

with laughing at yourself

if it doesn't work out,

and know that everybody's there

to support each other.

It's been the show

of a lifetime.

[cheering and applause]

[Sam] Alright, everyone,

that's a wrap

for Hunter Schafer.

[cheering and applause]

[Hunter Schafer]

Personally, I'm thankful

for the way the show

has taught me

how to act and write.

I think, like, that I want to

be as beautiful as the ocean.



But I don't think

I would be an actor

if things had not gone

exactly the way they had

with this show.

[Sam] That is a wrap.

[cheering and applause]

It's been such an honor

to work with all of you.

Working on the show

was the formative experience

of my young life.

It's given me

so many opportunities,

and I've met so many people

that I hope I know

for the rest of my life.

Hi, babe! You look so good.

[Sam] And action.

[Jacob] All I've ever wanted

to do is act.

Personally, this show

has been an instrumental part

of not just my career,

but my life.

To realize you've, like,

grown up in front of a camera...

sort of in these characters,

it's a really sort

of beautiful thing.

Everything I ever said was

true.

People love it in every country,

regardless of color or creed.

[fan] Jacob!

[Jacob]

When you make a piece of art

and it moves people

or they feel something

through a scene that you did,

I mean,

that's the ultimate

pat on the back.

Oh, no, I'm gonna cry.

I feel incredibly grateful to

have been a part of this series.

It's like such a beautiful,

lucky feeling

to create something

that touches people

in any way.

Thank you all so much!

["Thank yous" and applause]

[Sam] I can't thank you enough

for your talent,

for your work ethic,

for your creativity.

And this show would not be

a shell of what it is

without you guys.

Looking back on the show,

I'm incredibly proud

of what we accomplished.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

[Sam] It's important

to take the darkness

that you go through in life

and try to give it life.

Wish you,

wish you could move

In terms of my own life

and my own experiences,

you know, I think taking the

sort of struggles of addiction

and turning it

into a television show

that's entertaining

is my own way

of trying to take what's dark

and give it

a little bit of light.

[Rue gasping]

[Sam] People are gonna

have different opinions

about what the ending

of Euphoria means.

Is she dying?

Oh, my f*cking God!

Rue is gone.

I've never cried so much.

Wow.

[Sam]

I know what it means to me.

-Amen.

-[Ali sighs]

[Sam] We're just a small part

of a much larger story.

Amen.

[Sam]

And a really beautiful one.

I feel very blessed

and-- and grateful

to have spent, you know,

almost the last ten years

doing what I love to do

and being able to do it

with people that I love.

We had a great time.

The cast, the crew,

you know, the fans.

The show wouldn't have been

what it was

without you guys,

and I mean that.

So, from the bottom

of my heart...

thank you.

-[cheering and applause]

-That's a wrap.

Can't thank you enough.

Still don't know my name

You still don't know

my name

And I would die

your sl*ve

Baby, right now

But you still

don't know my name

Yeah

Oh, no-no,

no-no-no, no-no

Oh, no-no,

no-no-no, no-no

[singer vocalizing]

Yeah

Oh, no-no,

no-no-no, no-no

[singer continues vocalizing]