Euphoria is a gritty teen drama that is unafraid to test the limits and show instances of nudity, extreme violence, drug misuse, and other grim circumstances. Most of these themes include a lot of sex scenes, which aren’t usually well-liked. In fact, some Euphoria cast members acknowledged how uncomfortable they felt with the show’s nudity and voiced their thoughts publicly.
It sounded like Euphoria’s writer-creator Sam Levinson wanted to turn the heat to the next level in Season 2 after its debut as a great success in 2019. However, just as filming for the season was set to start in 2020, the pandemic struck and dramatically pushed back production.
That said, the postponement may have been for the best. Zendaya stated in an interview with The Cut that Levinson substantially revised the second season, removing many sequences and components that the star felt “needed to die.”
It is a no-brainer that Euphoria focuses more on the extreme and borderless life of the characters. There is violence and a lot of vices involved. Also, the show is well known for its explicit sex scenes in which most actors expressed concern and discomfort.
In an interview, Sydney Sweeney, who plays Cassie on Euphoria, admitted that she had requested Levinson delete any shirtless scenes that she believed were needless. “People forget that I’m playing a character. They think, ‘Oh, she gets naked onscreen, she’s a sex symbol.’ And I can’t get past that.” Sydney stated in another interview.
The actress clarified that she has no problem being naked on TV. However, it will be easier for actors if people are more open-minded about this subject.
One thing that made Sydney feel uncomfortable was the audience’s reaction to those intimate scenes. Since the June 2019 Euphoria premiere, she has felt apprehensive about the general public’s reaction to her nudity. The actress recalled that even her younger brother had been tagged in social media posts about Cassie’s nudity.
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The show’s cool girl Maddy, played by Alexa Demie, revealed in a 2019 Vogue video that she was initially uncomfortable with the necessary nudity but eventually warmed up. Alexa said the nudity was extremely hard for her, making her uncomfortable showing too much skin in public.
Another cast member who expressed discomfort is Chloe Cherry. Chloe stated that it was startling for her first part as a television actor to be a naked one. However, she was formerly a porn star and is used to performing in nude scenes.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, she admitted that Levinson wanted to film a scene in which she was entirely naked as soon as she met her co-star Tyler Chase.
Chloe also stated that it would have been a better experience if Tyler and she were given time to get to know each other. Sam also initially wanted Chloe to do the scene wholly undressed. However, Tyler came to the rescue and said it was unnecessary.
It is only natural to feel uncomfortable, regardless of your professionalism. With all the skin-showing scenes and the high level of intimacy these actors need to show on television, it is understandable to feel a slight tingle of uneasiness whenever shooting.
Euphoria and nudity somehow became one as the series progressed, and the actors needed to deal with the unsettling feelings while filming. One thing that adds to the sense of distress while doing such scenes is that the actor performs in front of big cameras, flashing lights, and a vast production crew.
Some actors also needed help with complex scenes and characters that seemed out of their league. Martha Kelly raised concerns regarding a scene starring her unsettling drug dealer character, Laurie.
In an interview with Variety, she claimed the part in which Laurie gives Rue a morphine injection. At the same time, she is Undressed originally featured Laurie undressing Rue and had a lot more of a “pedophilia vibe” before Levinson changed it in his rewrites.
Despite all the struggles and discomfort, the cast could adjust to being naked in Euphoria. Jacob Elordi, who portrays the bad boy Nate Jacobs on television, revealed he got accustomed to becoming naked for the camera.
“On Euphoria, it comes with the territory of the character. He’s this ultra-masculine, macho jock. Those guys, I think, tend to go around pretty shirtless, so it’s sort of OK,” Jacob stated.
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The actor also added how the production crew helped them adjust and made them feel comfortable showing their skin on camera. Jacob revealed that they have an intimacy coordinator with them in every scene, making them feel more secure and protected throughout the filming. He even added that the intimacy coordinator is like a second mother to them.
Although the cast members had their fair share of statements about the show’s nudity, most also understood the essence these scenes play towards the front. In an interview, Sydney Sweeney said that Euphoria’s nude scenes are essential to the storyline. She also added how their characters needed to show what they are going through, just like how we usually get naked in real life.
As the new season of Euphoria is announced, many fans are anticipating how the story of their favorite character unfolds. We don’t know whether there will still be steamy scenes in the new season. That said, viewers are excited to experience another rollercoaster ride.
Even with the issue of discomfort and uneasiness, the cast was still able to deliver a fantastic performance that made viewers come for more. Some might think these explicit scenes are unnecessary, but the show proved them wrong.
Euphoria and nudity might go hand in hand for most people who watched the show, and more have realized that such scenes are often more important than they thought. The show proved that a good series should involve a sense of rawness and connection to the reality we are experiencing in real life. This close-to-reality story might be controversial and easily misinterpreted, but it’s easy to relate to, which Euphoria fans enjoy.