Highlights
- The tragic passing of Angus Cloud, who played Fezco in Euphoria, may now necessitate his character's death in Season Three.
- Cloud landed his role in Euphoria with little acting experience, and his unique audition helped him secure the part.
- Cloud and Zendaya were schoolmates but only formed a friendship while working together on Euphoria, and Zendaya paid tribute to him after his death.
The consensus of Euphoria is that it is a show people either love or hate. But what is interesting, is that regardless of which side of the fence critics fall on, the series continues to be talked about. This, in part, has to do with the amazing cast the show boasts and the way they embrace their characters. And two of the most beloved characters on the show are Fezco O'Neill and Rue Bennett, played by Angus Cloud and Zendaya, respectively. As such, after the tumultuous Season Two came to an end, fans were left in shock not knowing Fez's fate after his home was riddled with bullet holes and how this would affect Rue's sobriety.
Unfortunately, even if the plan for writer/director, Sam Levinson was not to have Fez die in a hail of bullets, he may now have no choice for Season Three, a season that the stars have some very strong opinions about. This is because, in July 2023, Cloud passed away at his home in Oakland after struggling to come to terms with his father's death just weeks before. "It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today," Cloud's family wrote in a statement. "As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways."
The statement went on to read, "Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence."
"We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone," the statement concluded. "We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss." Stars paid tribute to Cloud via social media, including his co-star, Zendaya, a person Cloud was connected to in his early days of acting. That fact that made people wonder if his casting on Euphoria was in some way, influenced by the Dune star.
Angus Cloud Landed His 'Euphoria' Role With Little Acting Experience
When casting Euphoria, casting director, Jennifer Venditti had likely anticipated that all the roles on what would be the hit show would be given to fairly established or up-and-coming young stars. But as luck would have it, a main character just happened to be walking down the streets of New York.
When that casting scout saw Cloud, he was immediately asked to audition for the role of Fez.
"I was confused and I didn’t want to give her my phone number," Cloud explained about the scout who refused to let him say "no" to an audition. "I thought it was a scam."
Eventually, the scout would convince Cloud that she was legitimate. Shortly thereafter he "found himself in a nondescript room, filled with very serious people very seriously staring at him" while he read over the script before his audition.
"I had to change it a little bit," Cloud said of the script he was given to audition from. "To make it sound real, like how I would say it."
After that reading, Cloud was asked back to read one more time and was offered the role, with little acting experience under his belt. He said goodbye to his former life in New York and his job at the chicken and waffle restaurant and packed up to shoot in Los Angeles.
After the show was picked up into a series, California is where Cloud would reside from that point forward, dramatically altering his life forever.
Angus Cloud And Zendaya Reportedly Went To School Together
Cloud grew up in Oakland, California. While he went to a public elementary school, a decision was made to attend the charter school, Oakland School of Performing Arts where one of his schoolmates was none other than Zendaya. Because of this, people thought they were friends before being cast on Euphoria. But it was not until the two began acting together that a friendship was formed.
"We had some of the same friends... but I didn't really know her," Cloud said of his relationship with Zendaya before Euphoria.
That quickly changed after the two spent time together as seen in the loving words the Spiderman star wrote just after learning of Cloud's death.
"Words are not enough to describe the infinite beauty that is Angus (Conor)," Zendaya captioned a black and white photo of Cloud on Instagram.
"I’m so grateful I got the chance to know him in this life, to call him a brother, to see his warm kind eyes and bright smile, or hear his infectious cackle of a laugh (I’m smiling now just thinking of it)."
She went on to say, "I know people use this expression often when talking about folks they love…'they could light up any room they entered' but boy let me tell you, he was the best at it. I’d like to remember him that way. For all of the boundless light, love and joy he always managed to give us. I’ll cherish every moment."
Unfortunately, Cloud died before truly realizing what his acting career could evolve into. But he did finish some projects before his passing that will allow fans to see him a few more times on both the big and small screen before truly saying goodbye.
What Was Angus Cloud's Final Project Before His Passing?
Before Cloud passed, he was working on several projects that have yet to be released as of his passing. One that was released, however, was The Line, a film for which Cloud and the cast received praise at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year.
"The Line is a well-oiled stress machine and brutally funny in its portrait of KNA as a den of vipers and its depiction of this pervasive, casually cruel facet of college life is tinged with brutal, poignant ironies," one critique of the film stated. With more that followed suit, it is no wonder that Cloud was cast in more projects before his death.
Currently, the final three projects Cloud worked on, Your Lucky Day, Freaky Tales, and a "Universal untitled monster thriller" are all in different stages of production. Both Your Lucky Day and Freaky Tales have completed their shooting and are done and in post-production, respectively.
The untitled film is still in production, but Cloud finished filming his scenes for the movie. As such, in 2024 and possibly into 2025, given the state of the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strike, fans will be able to see Cloud on the screen a few more times and see the talent that the young actor had that left this world far too soon.
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