Euphoria creator Sam Levinson said he considered filming season three without nudity for Cassie, who launched Sidney Sweeney’s career and has often drawn criticism for her over-sexualization. But Sweeney nipped the idea in the bud.
In an interview with the New York Times, Levinson was asked about her relationship with Sweeney and her comfort with playing the mature content required of her in “Euphoria.” “Well, it’s interesting. When I first wrote this, I thought, ‘Maybe we could shoot all of this and there would be no nudity. Maybe there’s a way to avoid certain things?'” Levinson said. “And she looked at me and said, ‘Are you kidding me? I’m an OnlyFans model. Are you telling me I’m going to wear a skirt?'” And I was like, ‘Oh, okay, that’s a valid point.’ ”
The newspaper also asked Levinson about “complaints that there was unnecessary nudity” in the first two seasons of “Euphoria,” when the characters were in high school. “When you look at the script, you know what the role requires,” he says. “Even when you’re auditioning, let’s use the role of Cassie. You know the role requires a certain amount of nudity. Are you comfortable? If they’re comfortable, they get the role, and the next layer is the intimacy coordinator. I think it’s a SAG rule that if an actor says after casting, ‘Actually, I don’t want to do that,’ you can’t force them to do that scene.”
He went on to emphasize the importance of protecting actors. “I strongly believe that the best and most honest acting is when the actor feels free and safe. That’s how you can give a great performance. You can’t do that when you’re nervous. You block your emotions. And that’s something I’ve known since I was studying acting. So my job is to create the best and most suitable environment for the actor to play this character.”
Levinson praised Sweeney as an “absolutely fearless” and “amazing professional” actress, adding, “We have a lot of trust.” He added, “Look, we’re working on this world of OnlyFans where women are being paid to whisper into ear-shaped microphones and things like that. There’s a level of absurdity to it that’s just fun, and we’re always trying to figure out ways to make it feel authentic and humorous and dramatic and also speak to the characters’ larger needs and aspirations.”
Read Variety’s recap of the “Euphoria” series finale here, along with interviews with supporting star Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaye and guest star Colman Domingo.
