‘Euphoria’ creator Sam Levinson reveals attempts to get Angus Cloud clean
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson has discussed his attempts to help Angus Cloud get clean from drugs. The late actor portrayed Fezco in the hit HBO show.
Cloud passed away at his family home in Oakland, California, in July. Shortly before his death, his father had died following a brief cancer battle, and the Euphoria star turned to drugs while in a “grief-stricken” state according to his mother Lisa.
Last week, it was revealed Cloud had cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in his system during the time of his death. Now, his mother and Levinson have both opened up about his lengthy battle with drugs, including sending him to rehab.
“Angus was supposed to die at the end of the first season, but I loved him so f—ing much,” Levinson explained to People. “The first thing I noticed about him was he had those Paul Newman eyes … and his audition tape where he said that his name was Angus Cloud and he’s ‘five foot 12.’ It killed me. He was perfect. I think part of the problem is I would sometimes put actors ahead of the show at times. So I was like, ‘Okay, I can’t kill him because then what is he to look forward to?'”
Discussing a meeting about Cloud’s substance abuse, Levinson recalled: “I looked him in the eye and I knew that he wasn’t doing well. At the same time I’ve been in these situations before where you’re trying to get someone clean. And I just said to him, ‘I love working with you and we’ve got this amazing season planned and stuff, but I need you to be sober because I got to be able to rely on you.'”
HBO helped by sending him on a 30-day programme, but Levinson felt Cloud didn’t want to lead a sober lifestyle. “I could always feel that he didn’t want [sobriety] as much as we all wanted it for him,” he explained. “That’s where it gets tricky because the whole world can want it for you. But he didn’t want it. It’s just the self-destructive side of addiction and it outweighs everything. But you can’t give up on people. I wasn’t going to let anyone give up on him.”
“I started shaking him and screaming. I pushed him hard, and he fell on the floor. I tried to resuscitate him — mouth to mouth — and I was compressing him,” she says, sobbing. “I was screaming for my neighbor because I didn’t want to leave him and call 911, and I just kept at it until they took him away.” She wipes away a tear. “I miss him so much. He was the love of my life.”
Meanwhile, in the same feature, Cloud’s mother Lisa also heartbreakingly explained her attempts to resuscitate her son’s life.
“It was predominantly the central nervous system depressants. It started to slow his heart and slow his breathing. He got tired from lack of oxygen. Everything just slowed down, and eventually his heart stopped and he went to sleep. But he didn’t kill himself,” she said.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.