NEED TO KNOW
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Actor TV series "Euphoria"« James Landry Ebert told PEOPLE how he lassoed Zendaya's character Rue in the Season 3 finale.
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The actor, known for his roles in many westerns and television series, plays the villain Harley.
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Ebert says the wrap party was a "great relief" for the cast and crew, and "everyone was crying.".
James Landry Ebert was forced to perform incredible stunts in season three. TV series "Euphoria"« .
In the HBO drama series, whose shocking finale aired on Sunday, May 31, the actor, known for his westerns, «1883» to «Horizon» и «Once Upon a Time in Hollywood» , plays Harley, the cousin of the monotonous drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly).
In the opening scene of the final episode, Harley pursues a runaway Roo Bennett (Zendaya) and eventually captures her with a lasso while riding a horse. Ebert says the scene was added after the creator «Euphoria» Sam Levinson learned he could perform impressive cowboy stunts in real life.
«"Sam is great at casting. The more he gets to know you, the more he starts writing for you," Hebert tells PEOPLE. "We filmed on a ranch so close to mine that I'd sometimes ride my horse [Moose] to the set. Once he realized I could ride and lasso, he basically wrote an entire scene based on that. Of all the Westerns I've done, this is the most genuine cowboy action movie I've ever been in.".
Hebert, 41, says his 29-year-old Emmy Award-winning co-star Zendaya "was running around a lot that day.".
«"I take my hat off to her. I didn't know what she was capable of because it was a long dirt road and a lot of takes," he says of filming the desert chase scene. "I did most of the work. I was chasing her on horseback and throwing rope. She's their million-dollar baby, so they didn't want me to actually catch her with a rope, so I just threw the rope in her direction. Then they brought in her stuntwoman, Britta Grant, who's incredible, and had the stuntwoman drag her back to the ranch.".
Martha Kelly and James Landry Hebert in "Euphoria." Photo: HBO.
Ebert says he'll cherish the "really fun" moments on set when he was able to "argue with these characters on camera and then yell 'cut' and just laugh with Marshawn Lynch and Zendaya and everyone else.".
«"Zendaya is so poised, generous, and thoughtful, and she creates a very inviting atmosphere around her and kind of puts everyone at ease," he says of the actress, who has played Rue since the show's premiere in 2019. "I think I've learned a lot from her. She's one of the biggest stars in the world, but you wouldn't know it when you're around her. She's so down-to-earth. She just helps everyone relax and be their best self.".
Zendaya in Euphoria. Photo: Eddie Chen/HBO
When filming finally wrapped, the atmosphere among the cast and crew was "incredibly emotional," says Hebert. "I think we all had a wonderful time working together. They're such a great team. And I've never seen a show end like this: when we shot the final shot on the last night, it suddenly became like a farmhouse, but then the disco lights came on and the music started playing. They had a special party to wrap things up.".
«"It was a real explosion of emotion for everyone," he says. "But everyone was crying. Champagne was brought out. It seemed like the whole farm had turned into a club. There were cameras, everyone was saying goodbye and saying how much they loved working with each other. It was a truly incredible moment when they finally called 'stop' for the last take.".
Although it was later confirmed that the third season would be the last for «Euphoria» , Ebert says they left open the possibility of further plot development involving his character, who survives the ending.
«"I was thrilled to have the most epic death of my career. I feel like I die everywhere, and I usually play a character who deserves his comeuppance," jokes Hebert, revealing an alternate ending for his Harley that was reworked: "The original version was supposed to have the DEA agents break in… and me singing this song to them, sitting on the couch, all beat up. And that's kind of Harley's final stand, if you will—they were just going to set me on fire.".
And then one day [Levinson] suddenly said, 'You're not going to die,' and I thought, 'Okay!' So this might not be the end of Harley's story. I'm really excited about that potential.".
Ebert is a big fan of the 41-year-old Levinson and his creative process on set, and he defends the director's provocative and controversial storylines on the show.
«"Because of all these extreme things, people tend to think Sam does it for shock value. But I think if you dig deeper, there's a lot more to it," he says. "I think if he gets bored for even a second, he thinks, 'Let's spice it up.' If he's afraid to do something, I think he feels like that's what he's supposed to do." follows do".
«"I just love that he doesn't make decisions based on fear," adds Hebert. "People think everything he does here is incredible, but I actually have a lot of respect for what he does.".
The TV series "Euphoria"« is now available to watch on HBO Max.
Read the original article on People.