About a month ago, I was booked on the new Drake produced HBO teen drama Euphoria starring Zendaya. The scene I worked on takes place in a hospital waiting room, I was placed behind Zendaya with what was supposed to be a crying child. The little boy didn’t want to cry but we made it work. Zendaya took notice of the child and we both commented on how cute he was. Zendaya was sweet and graciously unpretentious.
This Sunday, Euphoria premiered and I was captivated. The show is an American adaptation of the Israeli show of the same name. It centers around Rue (Zendaya), a 17yr old drug addict. Although Rue just left rehab, she has no intention of staying sober. However; she will do her best to appear that way, most of all to her mother. It is implied Rue’s addiction is directly linked to her Mom forcing her into therapy and putting her on prescription drugs as a small child. Rue finds Euphoria when she gets high and is able to block out the world if only for a moment.
Euphoria comes with a warning label. Zandaya posted on Instagram, “Euphoria is for mature audiences. It’s a raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety, and the difficulties of navigating life today. There are scenes that are graphic, hard to watch, and can be triggering.” She’s right and I would advise if you have a teenage child watch it before OR with them. Both of you might have questions; the show is meant to spark dialog.
In the pilot episode, we also met some of Rue’s counterparts. Most notable, Jules, a transgender girl played by Hunter Schafer searching for her place in the world; in the wrong places that is. Jules has a drug problem of her own and while on a bender, meets up with a guy (Eric Dane) she chats with on Grindr in a motel room. A dangerous but realistic exploration of sexuality. As Jules approaches the motel room, you have an erie feeling nothing good will happen. Her character is based on show creator Sam Levinson’s own struggle with drug addition and Hunter’s personal experiences as a trans-teen.
Euphoria is addicting – I can’t wait to watch more. Its one of those shows that pulls you in instantly. Being that I’m in one of the episodes, I’ll enjoy trying to spot myself too. Excited to be part of the show even in a small way! Euphoria airs Sundays at 10pm on HBO.
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