There have been quiet mumblings of toxic drama on the set of HBO’s hit teen drama Euphoria, which is only in its second season. Lately, the mumblings have gotten louder, as cast and crew begin to discuss what’s been happening behind the scenes, and it seems that the high school drama of it all might be impacting the show’s production.
According to a new report from The Daily Beast, many of the show’s cast are feeling confused about where the season is headed, with certain characters blending into the background, while others have had questionable storylines. There have been rumors of on-set beef between creator Sam Levinson and Barbie Ferreira, who plays Kat, a central character in the first season. In season two, Ferreira’s character doesn’t get much screen time. Rumor has it the lack of character development was due to a rift between Levinson and Ferreira, which caused the actress to storm off set more than once.
If there is on-set drama, the cast is doing a pretty good job of handling it in interviews. Ferreira herself hasn’t spoken out, though she did reference her character’s internal turmoil in a recent interview with The Cut.
“Kat’s journey this season is a little more internal and a little mysterious to the audience. She is secretly going through a lot of existential crises,” Ferreira said, discretely shifting the focus from any on-set drama. “She loses her marbles a little bit — just like everyone else in this season. The theme is everyone’s gone a little crazy.”
Ferreira was famously absent from the show’s season 2 premiere.
In addition to the lack of Kat this season, it’s also been reported that long set days and lack of preparation have left many of the show’s stars feeling drained. Sources told The Daily Beast that the crew worked long workdays that could stretch anywhere from 15 to 17 hours, while Levinson came to set frequently unprepared.
In another interview with Thrillist, star Jacob Elordi said filming certain scenes were draining, specifically the New Year’s Eve party scene. “We shot that party for over a week, so very quickly it’s like being in Hell,” Elordi said. “It’s like being in a party that you don’t want to be in. At all. And you can’t wait [to leave].”
Hopefully the crew can hold it together for a third season, which has already been ordered by HBO.