Did You Know Zendaya Almost Lost Her Iconic Role in Euphoria? Here’s Drama Behind The Screen!(Photo Credit – YouTube)
Did you know Zendaya almost lost her iconic role in Euphoria? It’s hard to picture HBO’s groundbreaking series without her at its core. Yet, in a twist of fate, almost an unknown talent was leading the charge.
Casting director Jennifer Venditti recently spilled the tea to Variety about the initial casting process. While Zendaya was always the top choice for Rue, the team had their eyes on another young woman, scouted off the streets. “There was a magical person who had a similar trajectory as Rue and had come around to the other side,” Venditti explained. This actress had the potential, but the stakes were high. “With a TV show, it can be many years [of work]. We all loved her, but when we went through the rigor of the process, we didn’t know if she could handle what it would take in terms of stamina.”
They connected her with an acting coach to prepare the aspiring actress for the emotional weight of the role. Despite their efforts, Venditti and series creator Sam Levinson eventually decided it wasn’t the right fit. The casting director emphasized the uniqueness of Zendaya’s performance, noting how she tapped into a wealth of emotional depth despite not sharing Rue’s life experiences. “It’s so interesting. A polar opposite. Because here’s Zendaya, who has none of the life experiences of Rue, who was able to dig into her toolbox and access it in such a beautiful way,” Venditti said.
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And the casting drama didn’t stop there. The role of Rue’s best friend and occasional love interest, Jules, also had its ups and downs. Hunter Schafer hesitated to join due to concerns about inexperience and nudity. “Imagine that you were not really thinking of acting, and someone brings an opportunity with possible nudity,” Venditti explained. She didn’t let that stop her. “I was like, ‘Can we just meet?’ Obviously, I’d respect her decision if that was something that she wasn’t comfortable with. But I didn’t feel comfortable just not having a discussion about it to see what her thoughts were and to explain what it was.”
Thankfully, Schafer did decide to audition, and the casting team was instantly impressed by her presence. She even supported the other young actresses during auditions, demonstrating her collaborative spirit. “She showed up for her. She was so present and so natural with these other scenes that weren’t hers,” Venditti noted. Camaraderie makes Euphoria special; fans eagerly await season three!
The prospect of more from Rue, Jules, and the East Highland crew keeps everyone on their toes. While it’s nearly impossible to envision Euphoria without Zendaya as Rue, this casting journey reminds us just how pivotal decisions behind the scenes can be in shaping our favorite shows. If things had gone differently, we might have been celebrating a completely different lead in this groundbreaking series!
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