Terrifying reality behind Euphoria scene where Zendaya was buried up to her neck in sand

Euphoria’s new episode once again has included some utterly bonkers scenes that leaves viewers asking one question: “Didn’t this show used to be about high school?”

Euphoria experienced a five-year time jump between seasons two and three, something which mostly accounts for the fact that the actors could no longer convincingly play high school age characters.

One of the other aspects this has allowed to change however is for the show, which always featured drugs, sex, alcohol, and other pretty adult storylines, to dial things up to eleven.

Between Cassie becoming a kinky OnlyFans star, Nate getting battered by gangsters every other episode, and Jules being ‘mummified’ at her job as an escort, the characters are all going through much more adult storylines.

Zendaya’s Rue is arguably the most extreme version of this. Where Rue’s storylines once involved her trying to beat her drug addiction, figure out her relationship with Jules, and even her family, now her storyline is wildly different.

In season three Rue has been dragged into the world of drugs, crime, and smuggling, even becoming an informant after being caught by the DEA.

In a series of events slightly too complicated to explain, Rue ends up buried up to her neck in dirt at the end of the episode after being accused of being a snitch.

In behind-the-scenes videos of the scene, creator and showrunner Sam Levinson speaks about how being buried up to your neck in the dirt is an ‘old Western trope’, but also revealed a pretty terrifying reality behind filming the scene.

Shooting of Zendaya up to her neck in dirt reportedly took three whole days, with Levinson explaining why it was ‘complicated’ since they wanted to shoot it practically.

This included having to build an underground container which Zendaya could ‘duck under in the case of an earthquake’, with stunt co-ordinator Jeff Barnett explaining that two stunt men were with her in the hole with oxygen and water.

Behind the scenes on burying Rue. #Euphoria pic.twitter.com/QxJPO0NlLH

— Euphoria News (@season3euphoria) May 11, 2026

Levinson said of the filming: “I hand it to [Zendaya] she was a real trooper, she spent about three days buried up to her neck on the side of this hill.”

Fans online were shocked to find out the reality behind how tricky filming the scene actually was, with one posting on X: “Zendaya‘s work ethic is insane because being buried for THREE DAYS??”

Another said: “Oh my God, I’d die of claustrophobia.”

A third called for Zendaya to receive an Emmy for the role.

Euphoria season three, episode five is available to stream on HBO Max now.