Almost two months after Angus Cloud’s tragic death aged just 25, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson opens up about how he tried to get him sober.
Cloud was brought out of obscurity when a casting director noticed him waiting tables in Brooklyn, which led to him being cast as the kind-hearted drug dealer Fezco in the HBO series Euphoria.
He quickly became a fan favorite, as Levinson, 38, revealed in an interview with People – his first since Cloud’s death on July 31, which involved an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and more They originally planned to kill Fezco at the end of the first season… but he was just too popular.
“Angus was supposed to die at the end of the first season, but I loved him so damn much,” Levinson admitted.
“The first thing I noticed about him was that he had those Paul Newman eyes… and his audition tape where he said his name was Angus Cloud and he was ‘six foot tall.’ It killed me. “He was perfect,” Levinson admitted.
Sober: Nearly two months after Angus Cloud’s tragic death at just 25, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson opens up about how he tried to get him sober
Fezco: Cloud was brought out of obscurity when a casting director noticed him waiting tables in Brooklyn, which led to him being cast as the kind-hearted drug dealer Fezco in the HBO series Euphoria
Fan favorite: He’s quickly become a fan favorite, and Levinson, 38, revealed in an interview with People – his first since Cloud’s death on July 31, which was determined to be an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and more They originally planned on killing Fezco at the end of season one… but he was just too popular
“I think part of the problem is that sometimes I put actors at the forefront of the show. So I thought, ‘Okay, I can’t kill him because then what does he have to look forward to?'” Levinson admitted.
One of Cloud’s close friends, Lilita, revealed that she smoked weed with Cloud on set after he completed his first scene with Zendaya.
“I say, ‘Brother, we can’t do that.'” But he says, “It’s good. The actors are cool as long as the little shitty errand boys don’t see us,” Lilita said.
Levinson admitted he was unaware of Cloud’s drug use, adding, “I would have kicked him off the set if he smoked weed.”
Cloud suffered a traumatic head injury when he was just 15 years old. His mother Lisa admitted: “The drug use most likely had something to do with his need to relieve his pain.”
Then Cloud suffered another injury during the pandemic — breaking his heel bone in multiple places while running from police in Los Angeles… after almost getting caught “catching.”
The injury left him having to walk with a cane, although he refused further treatment, which Lisa believes caused him to delve deeper into drug use.
“I think that was actually the trigger for his drug-addict behavior.” It was extremely painful. I pushed him. I say, “You won’t start the second season for at least four months. Do the heel surgery. It’s a four month recovery. Do it now.’ But he just became unhappy and couldn’t figure out how to deal with it,” Lisa said.
Can’t: “I think part of the problem is that sometimes I’ve put actors at the forefront of the show.” So I thought, “Okay, I can’t kill him, because then what does he have to look forward to?” Levinson admitted
Smoking: One of Cloud’s close friends, Lilita, revealed that she smoked weed with Cloud on set after he finished his first scene with Zendaya
Injury: The injury left him having to walk with a cane, although he refused further treatment, which Lisa believes caused him to delve deeper into drug use
Drug addiction: “I think that was actually the trigger for his drug-addicted behavior.” It was extremely painful. I pushed him. I say, “You won’t start the second season for at least four months. Do the heel surgery. It’s a four month recovery. Do it now.’ But he just became unhappy and couldn’t figure out how to deal with it,” Lisa said
It got to the point where Levinson even suggested a stint in rehab before filming began on the second season.
“I looked into his eyes and knew he wasn’t feeling well. “At the same time, I’ve been in situations like this before where you’re trying to get someone in,” said Levinson, whose own experiences as a teenage drug addict form a loose basis for “Euphoria.”
“And I just said to him, ‘I love working with you and we’ve got this great season planned and stuff, but I need you to be sober because I can count on you,'” Levinson explained.
Cloud attended a 30-day inpatient rehab program paid for by HBO and continued an outpatient program for three additional months after inpatient treatment.
“I always had the feeling that he didn’t want to [sobriety] as much as we all wanted for him,” Levinson admitted.
“That’s where it gets difficult because the whole world can want it for you.” But he didn’t want it. It’s just the self-destructive side of addiction and it outweighs everything. But you can’t give up on people. “I wasn’t going to let anyone give up on him,” Levinson said.
Midway through filming the second season of Euphoria, Cloud began using heavily, which led to Levinson staging another intervention for Cloud on set.
“You need to get help, and get help now,” Levinson told Cloud before taking him back to rehab at the conclusion of the fifth episode of season two.
Rehab: It got to the point where Levinson even suggested a stint in rehab before filming began on season two
Clean: “I looked him in the eyes and knew he wasn’t okay.” “At the same time, I’ve been in situations like that before where you’re trying to get someone in,” said Levinson, whose own experience as a teenage drug addict is a loose one Form the basis for “Euphoria”.
Sober: “And I just said to him, ‘I love working with you and we’ve got this great season planned and stuff, but I need you to be sober because I can rely on you,'” Levinson explained
Right now: “You need to get help, and get help now,” Levinson told Cloud before taking him back to rehab after the conclusion of the fifth episode of season two
Cloud was actually wearing the red hoodie of Zendaya’s character Rue — who has struggled with addiction throughout the series — when he had an epiphany in the backseat of Levinson’s car.
“Oh shit, I feel just like Rue,” Cloud said as Levinson joked. “Well, do us a favor and don’t run away,” as Cloud burst out laughing.
After originally intended to be killed in Season 1, he was set to meet his maker again in a hail of bullets in Season 2… but Levinson just couldn’t make it.
Levinson revealed that when he told Cloud about his character’s death, he “just saw the blood drain from his face.”
“I think the hardest thing is when you have addiction issues – it’s about finding your meaning and purpose in life.” The only thing I knew was that he loved doing this show. He loved the crew. He loved the actors. He loved everything about it. And I just thought, if this goes away, I don’t know what’s going to happen in his life,” Levinson explained.
So he decided to convince his production partners that he couldn’t kill the beloved Fezco again.
“I can’t do it.” I can’t kill him. We have to keep him with us. He’s too special. “It doesn’t matter what the damn story is,” Levinson told them, leaving it to Fez’s younger brother Ashtray (Javon Walton), who was killed in a police raid.
Season 2 ended in February 2022 with Levinson having a four-hour conversation with Cloud at his home about getting sober for Season 3.
Angus and Zendaya: Cloud was actually wearing the red hoodie of Zendaya’s character Rue – who has struggled with addiction throughout the series – when he had an epiphany in the backseat of Levinson’s car
Couldn’t: After the original plan for him to be killed in Season 1, he was supposed to meet his maker again in a hail of bullets in Season 2… but Levinson just couldn’t make it
Ashtray: “I can’t do it.” I can’t kill him. We have to keep him with us. He’s too special. “It doesn’t matter what the damn story is,” Levinson told them, leaving it to Fez’s younger brother Ashtray (Javon Walton), who was killed in a police raid
Conversation: The second season ended in February 2022 with Levinson having a four-hour conversation with Cloud at his house about how to get sober for the third season
“No, no, I’m fine. I’m fine,” Levinson said Cloud told him during the conversation, but he knew otherwise.
“I noticed at the time that it seemed like he wasn’t interested.” “He wasn’t planning on doing anything, and yeah, he didn’t want to,” Levinson admitted.
Cloud continued taking it when the actor learned that his beloved father was dying in the hospital as he took time off from a horror film he was filming to visit his father in Oakland… and he only died one day later.
Although Cloud flew to Ireland at the end of July, he missed the funeral because he was too high.
“He absolutely loved his father.” He also knew that he truly loved him. He was so proud of Angus. For my son, Pops was his best friend. “There’s no doubt his father’s death took a toll on him,” Lisa admitted.