Euphoria creator Sam Levinson focused much of the third season of the HBO series on Fezco, the character played by Angus Cloud, until he died of a fentanyl overdose in July 2023.
In an interview with The New York Times, Levinson spoke about the version of Season 3 that he wrote before the WGA strike began in May 2023. “Angus was the backbone of that season. I wanted him to stay clean and I talked to him about that,” he said. “So I invited him over to my house and told him my plans for the character. I said, look, he’s been in prison for a few years, so he has to get that prison body with that yoke on him. Because I wanted him to start working out and start taking care of himself.”
Levinson also revealed that the original script for Season 1 had Fez dying at the end, but that he felt he “couldn’t do that” and that Cloud “needed something to look forward to, otherwise he might get lost in the world.”
“And then when I was writing Season 2 and it was coming to an end, I thought it’s time to do it this time. Fezco is going to die,” Levinson continued. “And as we got closer, I just couldn’t do it, especially considering everything we’ve been through. I wanted him to have something to hold on to, a tangible goal for the future.”
At the season 3 red carpet premiere, Levinson spoke to Variety about Cloud’s death. “Losing Angus was really hard on the production side. I loved Angus very deeply,” he said. “I fought hard to keep them clean.” In the season version, which premieres Sunday, Levinson aimed to “keep[Cloud]alive” in the story and wrote an episode in his honor.
