“Euphoria” has wowed audiences with its stunning graphics, outstanding acting, and well-scripted story. Apart from that, the teen drama let loose on fans several scenes that continue HBO’S tradition of delivering mature content.
Several characters had explicit hookups in season one, portrayed with a few clothing or nudity. With season two already airing, the showrunners have elevated the stakes, delivering more batches of sexually explosive content.
Although some actors willingly consented to portray the nude parts, others had issues with the scenes for different reasons. Minka Kelly, a recurring cast member, voiced her dislike for filming nude scenes and ultimately informed the showrunners of her disinterest in getting unclad in the show.
Minka Kelly Asked Sam Levinson To Remove The Nude Scene
Minka Kelly’s character appeared in two episodes and shares some relationship with Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie). Currently, the showrunners are yet to reveal if the talented actress will continue in a recurring role.
Kelly revealed, in an interview with Vanity Fair, that she was initially scheduled to go naked in one of her sequences in the season’s second episode. On reading the script for the part “The Friday Night Lights,” the actor declined to portray the scene and stood her ground against it.
She requested that series creator Sam Levinson rework it and delete the naked scene. It’s uncertain how much nude scenes were initially planned for Kelly in Euphoria. Levinson, on the other hand, took this suggestion seriously and promptly revised the sequence, removing the naked scene. He completed all the adjustments soon after the actress’s first day on set.
The Reason Why Minka Kelly Rejected Filming A Nude Scene
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Kelly dropped a personal detail not known to many during the interview. She stated she had never gone naked in the films or television series she had featured in at the time. Hence, she didn’t want this chance to be different, which made her oppose the original concept from the script.
“[Levinson] thought it would be more interesting if my dress fell to the ground,” she said. “That was my first day as a guest on this new show, and I just didn’t feel comfortable standing there naked.”
Her uncomfortableness with getting unclad prompted Kelly to quickly share her thoughts with Levinson, telling him that she didn’t think the part needed a nude scene. Ultimately, voicing her opinion made the director rework all the nudity sequences featuring her, apart from the initial bone of contention.
Two Other Stars Asked Sam Levinson To Cut Off Some Nude Scenes
Apart from Kelly, some other stars found the nude scenes distasteful and only wanted to do it when it was essential to the story concept.
Sydney Sweeney, who portrays Cassie, said, “There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless, and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here.’ He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it,'”
“I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me,” she added. Chloe Cherry, an added cast member, avoided appearing in a nude scene. Instead, the showrunners chose to cover him with fake blood, which played out well for the part.
Zendaya Warned Viewers Of “Euphoria’s” Mature Content Before The Premiere Of Season Two
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Since the show’s premiere in 2019, the level of nudity and sexual material it contains has been immensely divisive. As such, Zendaya, who stars as the leading lady in the HBO teen drama, felt the need to warn viewers of the show’s content before the premiere of season two.
“This season, maybe even more so than the last, is deeply emotional and deals with subject matter that can be triggering and difficult to watch,” she wrote at the time.
“Please only watch it if you feel comfortable,” she added. “Take care of yourself and know that either way you are still loved, and I can still feel your support. All my love, Daya.”
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