Euphoria creator Sam Levinson says he considered filming a third season without featuring Cassie, the character who launched Sydney Sweeney's career and was often criticized for being overly sexualized. But Sweeney nipped the idea in the bud.
In an interview with the New York Times, Levinson was asked about his relationship with Sweeney and how comfortable she was with the explicit scenes required of her on Euphoria. «Well, it’s funny. When I was first writing the script, I thought, »Maybe we can do this without nudity. Maybe there are ways to get around some of it?«„ Levinson said. “And she looked at me and said, „Are you kidding? I’m playing an OnlyFans model. You mean you’re going to get around that?“ And I said, „Yeah, okay, that’s a fair point.“».
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The Times also asked Levinson about "complaints that in the first two seasons of 'Euphoria,' when the characters were in high school, there was unnecessary nudity." "You know from the script what the role requires," he said. "Even when you audition, for example, for Cassie, you know the role requires a certain amount of nudity. Are you comfortable with that? If they're comfortable, they get the part, and then the next step is working with the intimacy coordinator. I think it's a Screen Actors Guild rule: If an actor is cast and says, 'Actually, I don't want to do this,' we can't force them to do the scene.".
He continued to emphasize the importance of protecting actors: "I firmly believe that the best, most sincere performances come when an actor feels free and safe. That's how great acting is achieved. It's impossible if there's tension. Emotions will be blocked. And I know this from my acting studies. Therefore, my job is to create the best, most favorable conditions for the actor to play the character.".
Levinson praised Sweeney, calling her "absolutely fearless" and "a wonderfully professional" actress, saying, "We have so much confidence in her." He added, "And look, we're working in the world of OnlyFans, where women are paid to, like, whisper into an ear-shaped microphone. There's an absurdity to it that's just fun, and we're always trying to come up with ways to make it authentic, humorous, and dramatic, while also reflecting the character's deeper desires and yearnings.".
Here you can read the review of the final episode of the series "Euphoria" from Variety , as well as interviews with supporting actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and guest star Colman Domingo.
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