Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria, paid tribute to Angus Cloud and Eric Dane at Tuesday’s season three premiere in Los Angeles.
The 41-year-old filmmaker addressed the audience at TCL Chinese Theatre in a five-minute speech, honoring Cloud, who died in 2023 at age 25, and Dane, who died in February at 53.
Cloud starred as the drug dealer Fez in the series, while Dane played troubled dad Cal Jacobs.
In a video shared by Deadline, Levinson said that the delay between seasons two and three was due to multiple factors but noted, ‘The real time was in trying to figure out how to find a way to pay respect to those who we’ve lost.’
He ultimately dedicated the third and final season to Cloud, Dane, and producer Kevin Turen.
Referring to the late Orthodox rabbi, he said, ‘The Rebbe says, “The only way to see great light is to pass through great darkness.” Well, it feels good to be on the other side.’
Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria, paid tribute to Angus Cloud and Eric Dane at Tuesday’s season three premiere in Los Angeles
Cloud, who died at age 25 in 2023, starred as the drug dealer Fez in the series; pictured in 2022
Dane, who died in February at age 53, played troubled dad Cal Jacobs; pictured in 2022
‘When Angus died it was tough. I loved him deeply and I fought hard to keep him clean,’ he said of the star, who passed away of a drug overdose.
Levinson also reflected, ‘Death is what gives life meaning. You can’t be arrogant about existence. You’re forced to reckon with the fact that life itself is a wonder, a gift, a profound blessing.’
In the wake of Dane’s passing less than two months ago, he said in a statement to People that he was ‘heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric.’
‘Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift. Eric’s family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing,’ he added.
HBO also honored the late actor, sharing: ‘We are deeply saddened by the news of Eric Dane’s passing.
‘He was incredibly talented and HBO was fortunate to have worked with him on three seasons of Euphoria. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.’
Despite his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, Dane was able to complete season three of the hit drama before his death on February 19.
In addition to season three of Euphoria, Dane will appear posthumously in the upcoming thriller Family Secrets, in which he plays a wealthy patriarch.
L-R Eric Dane, Colman Domingo, Zendaya, Sam Levinson, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Angus Cloud, Maude Apatow, Dominic Fike and Austin Abrams in 2022
Euphoria’s characters are placed five years in the future in the final season of the show, which began in 2019 with the cast in high school.
Levinson explained the time jump at an HBO event in London last year: ‘Five years felt like a natural place because if they’d gone to college they’d be out of college at that time.’
Per The Hollywood Reporter, he added, ‘We basically pick up Rue [Zendaya] south of the border in Mexico, in debt to Laurie [Martha Kelly], trying to come up with some very innovative ways to pay it off.’
While appearing on The Tonight Show in late 2025, Sweeney reflected on wrapping up filming the show in November.
‘It was super bittersweet because most of the crew I had worked with since I was 20, when I did the pilot.
‘So every single time I’d go back, I felt like I was going home and I was getting to see everybody…They’re a part of [my] family,’ the actress told host Jimmy Fallon.
