Dominic Fike was almost fired from “Euphoria” — the HBO Max drama about the perils of substance abuse and teenage life in Los Angeles — for doing drugs, the 27-year-old actor and singer said in an interview filmed in his native Florida.
“I was a drug addict and coming onto a show that’s, you know, mainly about drugs, is very difficult,” Fike told Zane Lowe during a nearly hourlong Apple Music conversation released Thursday.
“Euphoria” premiered in 2019 and captivated viewers with its harrowing depictions of addiction, teenage love triangles and drug abuse. When asked if he brought some of his own personal experiences to the show, Fike, who plays a teenage drug user named Elliot, replied candidly.
“Oh my God, dude, yeah,” the actor told Lowe. “I was so fucked up during a lot of that show. It was really bad. I was reprimanded for it. I almost, you know, got kicked off the show … They were like, ‘Bro, you cannot be doing this.’”
Fike said “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson got him a “sober coach” who was tasked to keep Fike from using drugs — and that this “did not work.” When asked whether the filmmakers used “a lot” of footage that Fike appeared in while he was genuinely high, Fike replied: “They had to.”
Lowe suggested that a “bit of a double standard” was at play: “It’s like, ‘We want you to be sober, we don’t want you to set a standard for yourself or others on set ― but it’s a great scene.’”
“Yeah, that’s entertainment, dude,” Fike told Lowe. “They give you a bunch of money and they’re just like, ‘Yeah, figure it out, bud. Sink or swim.’”
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Fike had already established himself as a popular SoundCloud musician when he was cast in Season 2 of “Euphoria.” His character even sang a song for Zendaya’s character, sparking a love triangle on the show that prefaced a real romance with co-star Hunter Schafer.
Fike and Schafer, who plays Jules on “Euphoria,” became official after sharing a kiss in February 2022 and reportedly posting as much on Instagram. That relationship has since ended, however, with Fike telling Lowe he’s “done being in relationships right now.”
When asked if he’s looking forward to filming the third season — which had been pushed back to 2024 and then was delayed further amid the writers strike — Fike said that “it’s gonna be sick.”
“I have a better dynamic with everybody,” he told Lowe. “I mean, well, almost everybody. I think it’ll be fine. We’re all adults, kind of. I’m trying.”
Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.