Euphoria star Angus Cloud passed away yesterday in his family’s Oakland, California home at the tender age of 25. Cloud was a rising star in Hollywood, marked by his arresting looks and unique blend of street cred and sensitivity. He brought all of those qualities to his work in HBO‘s Euphoria, where he played a drug dealer with a heart of gold named Fezco “Fez” O’Neill. Fez was responsible for both supplying tortured teen drug addict Rue (Zendaya) with narcotics and a safe place to crash. He was devoted to his pint-sized drug dealing “brother” Ashtray (Javon Walton) and sparked a sweet connection with the show’s good girl Lexi (Maude Apatow) in Season 2. Fez was something of a fallen angel in Euphoria: a character with a pure soul you understood was already doomed. Fez’s tenderness — the beauty that made him so likable, so bewitching, and so beguiling — was all Angus Cloud. Indeed, Angus Cloud’s sweet soul was the very thing that always has kept Euphoria from being too bitter.
HBO’s Euphoria was created by Sam Levinson, but was based on an Israeli series of the same name. The show is an unflinching look at teenaged drug addiction, sexual abuse, and mental illness. The series is narrated by Rue Bennett, a queer teenager who turned to drugs in the wake of her father’s death. Her struggles with sobriety are inextricably intertwined with her own search for love, self, and overall meaning. In the series premiere, Rue returns home from rehab and immediately turns to local drug dealer Fez for a hit.
In other teen dramas, the character of Fez could easily skew into villainy. He is, after all, our heroine’s primary source of drugs. He provides a gateway into addiction and is therefore a major roadblock to Rue’s recovery. However, Fez and Rue’s relationship is far more complex. Fez genuinely cares for Rue and the other pure-hearted characters in his orbit. More often than not, Fez takes on the role of protector for Rue, Ashtray, and their friends. So much so, Fez often finds himself acting out in violence — be it murdering cruel rival dealer Mouse (Meeko Gattuso) or beating up Nate (Jacob Elordi) — in retaliation for horrors already committed.
What sold the audience on Fez’s inherent goodness was Angus Cloud. He had a gentle manner to him, a slow and quiet way of speaking, and eyes so blue they looked like where the sky meets heaven. One of the most beautifully buoyant moments in the entire series comes when Fez and new friend (and love interest?) Lexi bond over “Stand By Me” on a couch. It’s a moment of rare joy melding with innocence on the otherwise cruel and unrelentingly traumatic series. It’s something that sparks to life because of Cloud’s sweetness.
Angus Cloud was a beautifully vulnerable performer who gave his raw, exposed self to Euphoria. Without his gentleness, the HBO hit would be an almost unbearably vicious slog. But Angus Cloud gave Euphoria and Fez all of his angelically-pure heart and soul. The HBO show and the world were better because of Angus Cloud.
If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.