Colman Domingo, who plays Ali on HBO’s hit series Euphoria, is opening up about the show’s upcoming third season and how it will navigate the death of Angus Cloud and producer Kevin Turen.
Domingo, who was tapped as one of the 11 actors spotlighted for this year’s Vanity Fair Hollywood issue alongside the likes of Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan and Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega, talked about the challenges the cast and crew have faced in pre-production of Euphoria Season 3 during his interview, admitting that Cloud’s character, the fan-favorite Fezco “Fez” O'Neill, was going to be a central role in season 3 before the actor died on July 31, 2023, at age 25 from an accidental overdose.
Domingo, who was among the first to post a social media tribute to Cloud shortly after his death, said the loss of the actor had been “absolutely terrible” in the new interview and revealed he believed it would undoubtedly affect the storyline of season 3. “I’m sure it affected the creation of season 3 because [Angus] was going to be a very strong part of it, but it’s…I don’t know,” Domingo told VF. “We came together as a cast many times to grieve, to mourn, to laugh, and enjoy all the things we know about Angus.”
“He was a wild one,” the actor continued. “I love him. He was a wild little brother. He was just sweet and funny and warm and odd at the same time. And I love people like that. If you’re not a little off, I have no business with you. You got to be a little off to be up in my life. He was all those things.”
As mentioned above, Cloud’s death is not the only one that has shaken up the future of Euphoria. Back in November of 2023, the cast also lost one of its producers, Kevin Turen, who suddenly died at 44 from “multiple heart issues.”
“We’ve had some losses,” Colman added, referring to both Cloud and Turen. “I know that Sam is conscious of that, and so I think it really helps to reexamine the work. We need to always not just ride on our laurels of, ‘Oh, we’ve had a hit show. We’ve won Emmys,’ stuff like that. But he’s always wanting to redefine and say, ‘Why are we doing this? Why? Like really.’ And I think it’s a great question. Why exactly are we doing this?”
Even prior to Cloud and Turen’s deaths, Season 3 of Euphoria had been in flux for a while. The show was renewed by HBO back in early 2022, but production has been at a halt for a while. It was also one of the many titles affected by Hollywood strikes and also suffered some delays due to scheduling conflicts from the cast and crew — namely, Zendaya’s multiple projects (Dune 2, Challengers) and Sam Levinson’s involvement in The Idol.
It wasn’t until January 2024 that it was officially confirmed that Levinson had started writing Season 3. At first, many believed Euphoria Season 3 would arrive sometime in 2024, it was then officially pushed back to 2025, and now 2026 is looking like the safest bet.
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Multiple actors have spoken up about their concerns for Season 3 in recent months. In August 2022, actor Barbie Ferreira announced in an Instagram Story post that she would be leaving the cast ahead of season 3, opening up about her reasons months after. Dominic Fike, who previously said his character Elliot would “absolutely” be part of Season 3, is now unsure about his return to the show; while Jacob Elordi is hoping a time jump would address the time gap between Season 2, which aired in 2022, and Season 3, whenever we get it.
Teasing what’s to come for Season 3 in his interview, Domingo could only add that he’s “in it” and confirm the season is indeed coming despite all the delays and hurdles. He also added that “it will be challenging in the most beautiful way” and that he trusts Levinson to examine “hope and faith, especially when it comes to people who are struggling and trying to find their way” in the upcoming season.
