Even the biggest ‘Euphoria’ fans don’t know these facts about the show.
Thank the TV gods for bringing Zendaya back to our screens for season 2 of HBO’s Euphoria. And wow, she’s come a long way from sashaying down high school corridors in a sea of sequins. (Are we the only ones who recall her from the Disney film Shake It Up?) Yes? It’s all quite cool. Anywaysssss.) Every week, our resident fashion icon and her equally brilliant cast bring the drama to our screens, making us gasp, weep, and shout much too loudly at Nate Jacobs. Prepare to feel…euphoric after reading this collection of behind-the-scenes details. We had no choice.
Hunter Schafer was a complete newbie to acting before the show.
It’s not as if you’d ever know! In every episode, her incredible depiction of Jules had us shaken (and jealous of her attire, but that’s beside the point). Hunter was a model in NYC who had never acted before and learned about the audition on Instagram.
Zendaya was the only option for Rue’s character
With a large photo of the actress front and center, show creator Sam Levinson actually spelled out his aims for the production. “I thought it was insane when Sam told me I was on his vision board for Rue. ‘I don’t believe you,’ I said. What have I done in my career to demonstrate that I am capable of doing this?’ “She told Entertainment Weekly about it. Zendaya is also on my vision board.
Jacob Elordi was almost homeless before being cast.
Jacob portrays Nate Jacobs, the hot guy villain we all despise. His part has spawned a slew of memes that I doubt he’ll ever be able to escape, so there’s that. But life was completely different before the program. “I auditioned at a time when the films I’d created hadn’t yet been released. I had no money, no possessions, and was almost homeless in Los Angeles when I went to the casting and forgot my lines “In 2019, he told Wonderland Magazine.
One of the most emotional scenes in season 1 was improvised.
Zendaya is the youngest woman to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series for a reason. Remember that heated fight scene where Rue is holding a shard of glass to her mother’s face? The whole thing was concocted on the spot. Zendaya told Refinery29 that she felt physically nauseous since it was so emotionally challenging for her.
Sydney Sweeney thought filming that famous bathroom scene was “terrifying.”
I’m sorry, but is this Scream or Euphoria? Because, I don’t know about you, but witnessing this scenario had my heart drop into my stomach. Alexa Demie’s portrayal was so convincing that it startled her co-star. Sydney Sweeney told Decider, “Alexa was on the other side of the door hammering the entire time, and I was just like, ‘Oh my goodness, if I was really in this scenario, I would be freaking out.”
The makeup looks have secret meanings.
Doniella Davy, the show’s makeup designer, told Allure that the makeup in each scene is meticulously designed to convey the characters’ emotions. Rue’s tear-shaped jewels symbolise melancholy, whereas Maddy’s diamonds and wings reflect confidence and fierceness. True piece of art!
Getting cast was a “spiritual” experience for Alexa Demie.
Before getting the part of Maddy, Alexa Demie experienced not one, not two, but three bizarre events. 1) She “instantly” recognized Jacob Elordi as Nate as he walked down the street. 2) She afterwards went to a sandwich store that had Euphoria cheese. And 3) before meeting Zendaya, she had a dream about becoming friends with her. Brb, showing friendship with Zendaya as well.
Sydney Sweeney created a diary for Cassie.
For every character she plays, Sydney Sweeney fills out a journal “from the day she’s born until the first page of the script” to get into character. If you’ve ever wondered what Cassie’s diary looks like, it’s “dramatic artsy” and filled with moody song lyrics and black and white photos.
