LAST UPDATED: April 4th, 2022. It’s no secret that Euphoria has become the Internet’s favorite show by a landslide since it first aired in 2019. The HBO drama has found a special place in all of our hearts, captivating viewers with endless twists and turns, vivid character development, topical episode themes — the list goes on. That’s why we’ll be sharing the most fascinating facts about Euphoria.
Euphoria Has Touched People of All Ages
Not only does the show feature an incredible wardrobe, pithy writing and relatable subject matter (not to mention its stellar soundtrack), but at its heart, Euphoria has captured something nostalgic about the experience of being a teenager that has touched people of all ages. Now that it’s well into its second season, the show is converting even more devoted fans, with a whopping 2.4 million viewers tuning in for the first episode of the second season — a record-breaking figure for HBO Max. UPDATE: We’re excited to announce Euphoria is coming back for Season 3, confirmed in a tweet by HBO.
5 Fascinating Facts About Euphoria
But enough gushing about the show — here are a few fascinating facts about Euphoria that you may not have heard before:
1. It’s a Fact that Angus Cloud’s Character, Fez, Was Discovered on the Street
Fez, the drug dealer who’s hard on the exterior but sweet underneath, has become one of the most beloved characters on Euphoria. But before being cast on the show, the actor who plays him — Angus Cloud — wasn’t an actor at all. Interestingly enough, he wasn’t even considering becoming one. Cloud was discovered on a Manhattan street by the show’s casting director. It’s interesting to think that if he had chosen to walk down a different street that day, Fez might look completely different than the character we’ve all come to know and love. Moral of the story: you never know when a chance meeting on the street will turn into a life-changing opportunity.
2. Sam Levinson Drew From His Own Experiences When Writing the Show
Here’s another fact you might not know: Sam Levinson, the creator, writer and director of Euphoria, has revealed that he has struggled with drug misuse, anxiety and depression in the past. Later in life, he used these challenging experiences to bring the experiences of the show’s main character Rue (played by Zendaya) to life, which is why even though it’s fiction, the show feels so raw and authentic.
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3. Euphoria Was Also Hunter Schafer’s First-Ever Acting Experience
Before deciding to audition for Euphoria, the actor who plays Jules Vaughn — Hunter Schafer — was modelling full-time and had never acted before, like Cloud. Considering how raw and emotive her performance is throughout the series, we’re beyond impressed.
4. The Makeup in the Show Symbolizes Character Development
The show has become well-known for the incredible makeup looks worn by the characters, especially its signature whimsical glitter eyeshadow. A fact you may not know is that these makeup looks in Euphoria were actually designed as a visual representation of the characters’ emotional trajectories throughout the series. For example, the glitter-eyes shown at the beginning of the show symbolize the exciting time at the beginning of a relationship when everything seems perfect and magical, whereas Jules’ eyeshadow eventually becomes spiky and erratic as she begins feeling more anxious about her relationship with Rue.
5. Another Fact is that Euphoria Is a Remake of an Israeli Series
Although Levinson’s version of Euphoria is completely one-of-a-kind, the show was in fact based on an older Israeli series with the same name. The original explored similar themes of sex, drugs and relationships, but it was set in the 1990s. Euphoria has also been compared to other beloved teen dramas like My So-Called Life, Skins and Degrassi, so if you’re looking for TV classics to check out between episode drops, you may want to check out one of those.
Lead image credit: Actresses Zendaya and Hunter Schafer from Euphoria. Photo by Eddy Chen/HBO.
