During the filming of Euphoria season 2, actress Barbie Ferreira, who portrays Kat Hernandez in the HBO show, allegedly walked off the set several times due to creative differences over her character with creator Sam Levinson. The hit teen drama series first hit HBO back in June 2019 to acclaim from critics and fans alike who praised the show's tackling of heavy subjects, the writing, and the performances of the ensemble cast. Euphoria season 2 is currently airing on the network and HBO Max since January 9.
Euphoria follows a large group of teenagers in the town of East Highland as they navigate a dangerous world of drugs, addiction, love, sex, and identity. The series is narrated by Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a struggling drug addict who comments on all of the lives of all of her peers as they struggle with these serious topics. Joining Ferreira in Euphoria's cast are Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Maude Apatow, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Angus Cloud, and Eric Dane.
In an article from The Daily Beast, many of Euphoria season 2's behind-the-scenes dramatics were revealed, including the arguments that certain stars may have had with Levinson. In detail, the actress reportedly spoke with Levinson about the direction that her character was headed, explaining her dislike for the story, however, the conversation evidently went south which led to the actress storming off set and Levinson ultimately cutting back her scenes in the show. Throughout the rest of the article, other stars are also revealed to have disagreements with Levinson and, further, HBO is said to not have liked the direction the show was going.
This is not the first time concerns over Ferreira's character have been shared as, ever since the new season began airing, fans immediately noticed Kat taking a complete back seat in the show's ensemble in favor of other characters. Combined with the fact that Ferreira didn't attend the premiere of Euphoria season 2 with the rest of her castmates, many began to wonder what went on behind the scenes. Kat was noted as one of the first season's most prominent characters, being a symbol of body positivity as she developed a romance with Austin Abram's Ethan. Currently, the character features prominently in the background and only comes to the forefront as she worries about her relationship and appears narcissistic towards many.
With such drastic creative differences between the leader of the show and its stars, the direction Euphoria season 3 could take remains unclear. Furthermore, with HBO reportedly taking issue with Levinson's direction for the show, it seems like any future seasons could potentially have some influence beyond Levinson, as the writer-director is the sole creative credited with overseeing these aspects. Euphoria season 2 is preparing to premiere its final two episodes, with the penultimate episode airing this week followed by the finale, which could give a hint as to what's in store for Kat and other fan-favorite characters going forward.
Source: The Daily Beast