‘Euphoria’ Premiere Pays Tribute to Eric Dane, Angus Cloud

The third season premiere of Euphoria paid tribute to actors Eric Dane and Angus Cloud, as well as producer Kevin Turen. The HBO series opened with in remembrance for Dane, who died in February after a battle with ALS, and ended with an “in memoriam” card for all three.

The episode also addressed the fate of Cloud’s character Fezco, who the actor played for two seasons before his death in 2023. The premiere sees Rue (Zendaya) visiting her high school friend Lexi (Maude Apatow) in Los Angeles and urging her to call Fezco, who is serving 30 years in prison.

Euphoria creator Sam Levinson said he wanted to keep the character present in the world of the show. ““Keeping Angus alive in the story it was like, if I couldn’t control it in life, at least I can control it in the work,” he told Rolling Stone.

Levinson added, “The grief with Angus deeply informed the season. He was someone I loved very much. And someone I fought very hard for. Look, I’ve dealt with addiction. I’m well-versed in it. So you’re always kind of prepared, but losing Angus really shook me and made me angry for a lot of reasons.”

Turen, a producer on Euphoria and Levinson’s show The Idol, also died in 2023. Dane will appear in Season 3 in one of his last filmed appearances following his death.

“Eric called me before we started shooting and told me about being diagnosed with ALS, and we had a long talk,” Levinson told Rolling Stone. “I said to him, ‘However you show up, I’ll make it work.’ He had a lot of grace. He was a beautiful person — intelligent and soulful … and able to find the beats of humor and tragedy [in Cal]. I loved him deeply. I got to say goodbye.”

Although Dane’s character did not appear in the premiere, he will show up later in the season. Season 3 will include eight episodes. The show airs on Sundays on HBO.