Jacob Elordi defends Euphoria against accusations of poor working conditions. Elordi plays Nate Jacobs in the popular HBO teen drama, with his character routinely getting into some seriously muddy waters in storylines involving bad breakups, worse parenting, and unforgivable betrayals. As part of the series’ second season 2, Nate was involved in a love triangle between former flame Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) and current girlfriend Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) which divided audiences.
Euphoria season 2 was also the focus of controversy behind the camera, though. Back in March, a wide-ranging report painted the set of Euphoria as a toxic work environment. Several crew members and extras spoke of their hellish experiences while filming, saying that they weren’t provided with adequate meals and bathroom breaks. Other complaints mentioned how the show’s shoots could stretch on for 18 hours, beginning at sundown and carrying on until dawn. These long hours were blamed, partly, on the fact that Euphoria creator Sam Levinson would sometimes arrive at the set without a clear plan for how he wanted the filming process to unfold.
In a profile for GQ UK, Elordi spoke of his experience working on Euphoria. The actor referred to being on the set of the HBO series as an “absolute treat”. He stressed that he doesn’t want to minimize anyone else’s experience, explaining that as an actor he likes the feeling of tirelessly working to give his best performance. He also notes that it takes a lot of work and many tries to turn Euphoria into the hit that everyone talks about. Elordi’s quote is included below.
“For me, working on that set is an absolute treat. When I’m working with Sam, I’m in the trenches with him, and I trust him, and I work myself to the bone for him. I think I’ve read people saying, ‘Look, that’s a bad image to set, you shouldn’t have to work yourself to the bone for art.’ F–k that. I enjoy it. … What everyone’s seeing on television, the shots that people are talking about, the feelings that they get, the conversation that’s around the show, that’s because certain shots take 30-something takes.”
For its part, HBO defended Euphoria against accusations of a toxic environment. The cable channel noted that the production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols, noting that it was not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots and that COVID protocols added an “additional layer.” HBO concluded its statement by mentioning that “were never any formal inquiries raised.” In any case, it was only one of the controversies surrounding Euphoria season 2. There were also rumored tensions that allegedly affected the writing for supporting characters and discussions of whether the show’s reliance on nude scenes was always necessary.
In this context, it’s important to remember that a single actor’s experience doesn’t speak for everyone. It likely doesn’t speak for the totality of what Elordi thinks, as he previously referred to a long shoot as “being in hell”; echoing the anonymous crew members. Working on a popular, demanding series like Euphoria is a unique experience that will garner a bevy of mixed emotions. More important than zeroing in on a single positive testimony, no matter how valid, is making sure that no one feels unreasonably overworked and neglected.
Source: GQ UK