Euphoria addressed Fez’s absence in the season 3 premiere after Angus Cloud‘s offscreen death.
During the Sunday, April 12, episode of the HBO show, Rue (Zendaya) spoke with Lexi (Maude Apatow) about getting in contact with Fez. It was then mentioned that Fez was serving 30 years behind bars after the season 2 finale ended with him seemingly getting arrested.
Creator Sam Levinson previously spoke about honoring Cloud on the show.
“There are a lot of scenes where people are either talking to him on the phone,” he told told Variety while attending the season 3 premiere on Tuesday, April 7, explaining the decision for Fez to still be part of the story.
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He continued: “I thought that if I couldn’t keep him alive in life then maybe within this show that I can control and keep him alive there,” he added. “I think the whole thing was to honor him and also I can’t wait for you to see the last few episodes. I think he would be cracking up at his story line. I think he would love it.”
Cloud isn’t the only costar the Euphoria cast has lost. Eric Dane, who played Cal, died in February at age 53 after a battle with ALS.
“Some people ask why it took so long between seasons 2 and 3. There were obvious factors — the strikes, trying to make a schedule work with our very in-demand cast, but the real time was in trying to figure out how to find a way to pay respect to those who we lost,” Levinson said in a speech on Tuesday.
He continued: “When Angus died, it was tough. I loved him deeply, and I fought hard to keep him clean. The year he died, in 2023, he was one of 73,000 people in America who died of a fentanyl overdose. I learned a whole lot that year, but what I realized more than anything is that death is what gives life meaning. You can’t be arrogant about existence. You’re forced to reckon with the fact that life itself is a wonder, a gift, a profound blessing.”
Before his death, Cloud was candid about his struggles with mental health and addiction. Levinson recalled making several attempts to help the actor during his journey to stay sober.
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“I looked him in the eye and I knew that he wasn’t doing well,” Levinson told People in September 2023 about helping Angus enter a 30-day in-patient program. “At the same time, I’ve been in these situations before where you’re trying to get someone clean. And I just said to him, ‘I love working with you and we’ve got this amazing season planned and stuff, but I need you to be sober because I got to be able to rely on you.’”
Levinson was determined to support Cloud, noting, “I could always feel that he didn’t want [sobriety] as much as we all wanted it for him. That’s where it gets tricky because the whole world can want it for you. But he didn’t want it. It’s just the self-destructive side of addiction and it outweighs everything. But you can’t give up on people. I wasn’t going to let anyone give up on him.”
Euphoria airs on HBO Sundays at 9 p.m. ET
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
