The ruthless scene from the show’s second season was a testament to Cloud’s fluidity as an actor
When the second season of Euphoria premiered last January, the first episode “Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door” ended with a brutal bang that left most viewers in shock. In the final scene, Fezco, the lovable drug dealer played by Angus Cloud, approaches sadistic jock Nate (Jacob Elordi) and, in a blink, bashes his head with a glass bottle before mercilessly beating him into a bloody pulp, leaving him half-dead at a tinselly New Year’s Eve party.
It’s a ruthless, unforgettable scene — and one that relied on the fluidity of Cloud as an actor. Cloud, who died on Monday at age 25, captured the complexities and nuances that made Fezco so compelling. He played Fezco with compassion, adding depth and a lot of his own attributes to the character: The slow, unhurried drawl, and low-key sense of humor were some of the reasons Fezco was a show favorite. However, Cloud also knew how to toggle between tenderness and rage, particularly in this episode, where his performance was at its peak.
“Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door” is the first episode that established the relationship between Fezco and the bookish wallflower Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow), kicking off as she plops down on a sofa next to him. Fezco lights a cigarette with unbothered coolness, and they launch into a light but revelatory exchange that sets them up as “Fexi,” the unlikely but beloved twosome that delighted fans the rest of the season. Cloud played the scene with just the right amount of warmth, joking around with Lexi, puppy-dog-eyed and awed at how smart she is.
What makes it chilling is how he transforms minutes later. He approaches Nate as the easygoing, slow-talking simpleton that could have driven him toward caricature in the script. They’re joking around and clinking their glasses for a brief cheers, when — fast enough to give fans whiplash — Fezco is covered in blood, fists flying, and pummeling into Nate’s face, hitting flesh and bone over and over again. His face twists with fury and he refuses to stop punching— even shoving Lexi’s sister out of the way in the process. Everyone at the party — including Lexi — is horrified at such a vicious turn.
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“You get this feeling like if you dance too close to the flames, you’re gonna get burnt,” Elordi said of the scene later. “So, for me, that was a knowing feeling that it was coming, I just didn’t think it would be quite so brutal.”
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Sam Levinson isn’t known for being subtle, and the violence of the fight is intense. It could have even been completely gratuitous on a show that’s supposed to be about high school kids. But fans cheered for Fez, given the gentleness Cloud conveyed in past episodes (and Nate’s own cruelty), making the scene one of the standouts that united Euphoria viewers on social media.
Other choices Cloud made took it beyond a crude attack: Just before Fez walks off from Nate’s unconscious body, he glances up to see Lexi watching him and averts his eyes, a mix of fury, shame, and pain — all a testament to what Cloud was able to pull out in front of the cameras.
