Euphoria is an American psychological drama television series created and written by Sam Levinson for HBO. Based on the Israeli miniseries of the same name created by Ron Leshem, the series stars Zendaya as drug-addicted teenager Rue Bennett, who also serves as an unreliable narrator. The ensemble cast includes Maude Apatow, Angus Cloud, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer, Algee Smith, Sydney Sweeney, Colman Domingo, Javon "Wanna" Walton, and Austin Abrams. Dominic Fike, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Martha Kelly, Chloe Cherry, and Toby Wallace join later in the series.
Euphorias executive producers include Levinson, Zendaya, Leshem, Drake, and Gary Lennon. The series is filmed in Los Angeles, and follows a group of high schoolers in the fictional town of East Highland, California. The eight-episode first season was broadcast between June 16 and August 4, 2019. Two specials were broadcast in December 2020 and January 2021. The eight-episode second season was broadcast between January 9 and February 27, 2022. The eight-episode third season was broadcast between April 12 and May 31, 2026. It is set five years later and away from the high school setting of the first two seasons, and on the same day that the final episode was released, HBO confirmed that the series had concluded after three seasons.
The first two seasons received generally positive reviews, with praise for its cinematography, score, performances of the cast, and approach to its mature subject matter. Some critics found the nudity and sexual content excessive due to the characters' ages. The third season received mixed reviews from critics. It is the fourth most-watched HBO series since 2004. The series has received numerous accolades, including thirty two Primetime Emmy Award nominations and nine wins. In 2020 and 2022, Zendaya won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the first two seasons. The series was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series and in 2020, the series was nominated for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series for excellence in media portrayal of LGBTQ people and themes.
Cast and characters
Zendaya as Rue Bennett, a struggling drug addict who returns from rehab and struggles to become sober while finding her place in the world. She has an on-and-off relationship with Jules, to whom she often lies in her struggle to stay clean during their relationship. Rue serves as the series narrator and knows intimate details about various characters. Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard, Rue's childhood best friend and Cassie's younger sister, who has trouble finding her confidence. She tries to help Rue beat her addictions with limited success. Angus Cloud as Patrick "Fezco" O'Neill (seasons 1–2), a drug dealer who has a close relationship with Rue and his adopted brother Ashtray. Eric Dane as Cal Jacobs, Nate's closeted real-estate venturing father who has a dangerous double life and hidden past. Alexa Demie as Maddy Perez, a popular cheerleader and Cassie's best friend. Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs, a star American football player, Cassie's husband and Maddy's on-and-off abusive ex-boyfriend, whose severe anger issues mask his sexual insecurities. Barbie Ferreira as Kat Hernandez (seasons 1–2), a girl fighting for body positivity while exploring her sexuality and self-confidence. Nika King as Leslie Bennett (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), Rue and Gia's mother who struggles living with Rue's addiction. Storm Reid as Gia Bennett (seasons 1–2), Rue's younger sister who became traumatized after finding her following an overdose. Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, a transgender girl who has a turbulent relationship with Rue after moving to East Highland with her father. She becomes Rue's on-and-off girlfriend and explores her sexuality and personal identity as a transgender teen. Algee Smith as Chris McKay (seasons 1–2), a football player and Cassie's ex-boyfriend who has difficulties adjusting to college. Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Jacobs (née Howard), Lexi's older sister, Maddy's best friend, Nate's wife, and Chris's ex-girlfriend with an infamous sexual history that haunts her. Colman Domingo as Ali Muhammed (né Martin McQueen) ("Trouble Don't Last Always"; recurring seasons 1–3), a man in recovery from drug addiction who often speaks at Rue's Narcotics Anonymous meetings and eventually becomes her sponsor and mentor. Javon "Wanna" Walton as Ashtray "Ash" (season 2; recurring season 1), Fezco's unofficially adopted "little brother" and a drug dealer. Austin Abrams as Ethan Daley (season 2; recurring season 1), Kat's boyfriend who later portrays the lead role in Lexi's play. Dominic Fike as Elliot (season 2), a new friend of Rue's who begins to come between her and Jules's budding romantic relationship. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Alamo Brown (season 3), a dangerous-yet-magnetic strip club magnate who takes Rue under his wing. Martha Kelly as Laurie (season 3; recurring season 2), a former schoolteacher turned drug dealer. Chloe Cherry as Faye Valentine (season 3; recurring season 2), a drug addict who befriends Fezco and Ashtray after she is wanted by the police and ends up working for Laurie. Toby Wallace as Wayne (season 3), one of Laurie's relatives and a drug dealer.
Episodes
Season 1 (2019)
Specials (2020–21)
Season 2 (2022)
Season 3 (2026)
Production Development
In 2006, Sam Levinson began drafting different versions of what eventually became Euphoria, based on his personal experiences as a teenager and his struggles with anxiety, depression, and drug addiction. In June 2017, he was invited to a meeting with HBO's head of drama, Francesca Orsi about an adaptation of the 2012 Israeli television series Euphoria created by Ron Leshem, Daphna Levin, and Tamira Yardeni. Levinson recalled the meeting with Orsi: "We just had a conversation about just life and her life and my life and various struggles that, you know, we've been through and things and she said, 'Great, you know, well go and write that' and I said 'What?' and she goes 'Everything we just talked about'". Orsi liked the "raw and honest" portrayal of drug use and other teenage problems in the Israeli series, and in a press release described the American version as "Kids meets Trainspotting" with no parental supervision. The production was given a pilot order on March 13, 2018, and on July 30, it was announced that HBO had given the production a series order.
Levinson has served as Euphorias showrunner since its premiere and has written every episode. He has cited teenage anxiety as an influence for the series: "There is this consistent anxiety that I think exists in this generation that I think informed the whole filmmaking process." He has directed every episode bar three directed by Augustine Frizzell, Jennifer Morrison and Pippa Bianco. Euphoria is a co-production of The Reasonable Bunch, A24, Little Lamb, DreamCrew, and HBO Entertainment. It has sixteen executive producers, including Levinson, Leshem, Levin, Yardeni, Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein, Mirit Toovi, Yoram Mokadi, Gary Lennon, Zendaya, Canadian rapper Drake, Future the Prince, Ravi Nandan, and Kevin Turen.
The series was renewed for a second season on July 11, 2019. Before its release, HBO ordered two special episodes. Production for the second season was scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2020, with the first table read on March 11, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the production. Production resumed in March 2021, with filming from April to November. HBO defended the series against allegations of a toxic work environment during the production of the second season, writing: "The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority. The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols. It's not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer. We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised."
On February 4, 2022, HBO renewed the series for a third season. In September 2022, HBO's CEO Casey Bloys said the series would not end after the third season. Production of the third season was set to start in February 2023, aiming for a late 2023 release. The third season production was disrupted by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. In May 2023, Euphoria was confirmed to take place in the same universe as Levinson's 2023 television series The Idol. Euphoria series regular Alexa Demie makes an uncredited cameo appearance in the series' first episode. Pre-production for the third season had begun by December 2023. Principal photography began in January 2025 and wrapped in November. On May 31, 2026, the same day that the final episode of the third season was released, HBO confirmed that the series had concluded after three seasons. In an interview with The New York Times, Levinson elaborated on his decision to end the series and stated: "In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me". He noted that the final episode also acted as a tribute to Angus Cloud following his death from a drug overdose in 2023 and said, "It was a way of honoring Angus and saying a prayer for the future".
Casting
On June 7, 2018, it was announced that the pilot would star Zendaya, Storm Reid, Maude Apatow, Eric Dane, Angus Cloud, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Hunter Schafer, and Sydney Sweeney. On October 31, Austin Abrams was cast and Algee Smith replaced Stro, who reportedly quit the series after shooting the pilot as he was uncomfortable with "shooting scenes that weren’t in the original pilot script and suggested his character would experiment with homosexuality in future episodes."
On August 6, 2021, Dominic Fike was added to the main cast of season 2. On August 24, 2022, Ferreira announced via Instagram that she had decided to leave the series. On April 5, 2023, she stated: "I just felt like, maybe it's like I overstayed my welcome a little bit. So for me, I actually felt good to be like, 'Okay, I get to not worry about this, and we both don't get too worried about this', because it's exhausting."
On July 31, 2023, Cloud died before production of the third season had begun. In July 2024, Colman Domingo confirmed that he would be reprising his role in the third season. In November, Reid announced she would not be returning for the third season. In February 2025, it was reported that series regulars Smith, King, Abrams, and Javon "Wanna" Walton would also not be returning. Martha Kelly and Chloe Cherry were reported to have been promoted to series regulars for the third season, with Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Toby Wallace also joining the main cast. On February 19, 2026, Dane died after having completed his work on the third season.
Filming
Primary photography takes place in Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Grant High School in Los Angeles stands in for the fictional East Highland High School. According to the California Film Commission, the first season of Euphoria received $8,378,000 in incentive tax credits. The first season was filmed over 104 days; the second season's production costs totaled $96,685,000 after 176 filming days. The second season received a $19,406,000 tax credit for employing over 15,000 people in California.
Rue Bennett's actress Zendaya received $500,000 per episode in the first two seasons and $1,000,000 per episode in the third season. Out of respect for the actors and extras involved, filming of nudity was conducted on a closed set, and for sex scenes, an intimacy coordinator was used.