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The Season 3 premiere of “Euphoria” paid tribute to actors Eric Dane and Angus Cloud, as well as producer Kevin Turen. The HBO series opened with a memorial tribute to Dane, who died in February after a battle with ALS. and ended with an “In Memoriam” fade-in for all three.
The episode also touched on the fate of Cloud’s character Fezco, whom the actor portrayed for two seasons before his death in 2023. In the premiere, Rue (Zendaya) visits her high school friend Lexi (Maude Apatow) in Los Angeles and urges her to call Fezco – who is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence.
“Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson said he deliberately wanted to keep the character present in the world of the series. “Keeping Angus alive in the story was kind of like, if I couldn’t control it in real life, at least I can in work,” he told Rolling Stone.
Levinson on the loss
Levinson added: “The pain of losing Angus has profoundly shaped the season. He was someone I loved very much. And fought very hard for. I’ve dealt with addiction myself, I know the subject well. So you’re always kind of prepared – but losing Angus really shook me up and made me angry for a lot of reasons.”
Turen, producer of “Euphoria” and Levinson’s series “The Idol,” also died in 2023. Dane will still appear in Season 3 – in one of his last filmed appearances before his death.
“Eric called me before we started filming and told me about his ALS diagnosis. We talked for a long time,” Levinson told Rolling Stone. “I told him, ‘However you show up, I’ll make it work.’ He had great dignity. He was a wonderful person – smart and soulful… and able to… [Cal] to find the balance between humor and tragedy. I loved him very much. I was able to say goodbye.”
Eight episodes, Sundays on HBO
Dane’s character doesn’t appear in the premiere, but will appear later in the season. Season 3 has a total of eight episodes and airs on Sundays on HBO.
