Sam Levinson confirms Euphoria will never return as Alexa Demie addresses quitting acting for good
One of HBO's most talked-about shows, Euphoria, has finished for good.
Having aired its season 3 finale over the weekend - punctured by yet another shocking death, this time Zendaya's Rue Bennett - series creator Sam Levinson confirmed on the New York Times' Popcast that it's officially over, even though a handful of absorbing character journeys are still in play.
These are Sydney Sweeney's Cassie Howard, Hunter Schafer's Jules Vaughn, Alexa Demie's Maddy Perez, Maude Apatow's Lexi Howard, and Colman Domingo's Ali Muhammad.
Speaking after Euphoria's devastating swansong episode, Levinson highlighted how the stark realities of drug addiction simply could not be ignored in his made-up world.
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"It just felt like the honest ending," he noted, before elaborating: "The honest ending is people like Rue don't make it."
On screen, the troubled Rue fatally overdosed on painkillers laced with fentanyl.
"In terms of the story we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me."
Levinson, who faced fan backlash for many of Cassie's gnarly scenes across the third season, went on to add: "People relapse. They f**k up. They're not ready to get clean. And they weren't dying like they are now, with the influx of fentanyl into this country.
"I can say with absolute certainty that if I was going through what I went through when I was younger now, I wouldn't be here either. There's no reason to sugarcoat it. I wanted to tell this story for Angus [Cloud] and for people who weren't granted a second chance."
Back in 2023, Fezco O'Neill actor Cloud passed away from what was described as a 'lethal mix of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and benzodiazepines', aged just 25.
This comes after Demie opened up about her future in the acting profession, having seemingly struggled to nail down regular work because of her Latina heritage.
In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the 35-year-old clarified that despite rumours circulating, she's not about to give up the ghost.
"It's like, did you ever think that I don't want it? People really take the authority out of your hands. What happened to my ability to choose? I like my life like this, and I wouldn't change it," she said, addressing the whispers.
Also credited on shows like Ray Donovan and The OA, Demie suggested that her non-hectic schedule reflects her interest in the work available.
As for how casting opportunities were extremely limited when she first started out, Demie revealed: "I was sick of going into those rooms, and this was during that time when you're young and every few months you're just like, 'I'm quitting, I'm quitting.'
"But knowing me, I never would have quit. I'm more of the energy of like, 'No, I'm going to show you I can do it.'"
Topics: TV, Euphoria, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, HBO
Dan Seddon