When HBO’s “Euphoria” first aired in 2019, only one member of its young cast was a household name—but the rest of them were about to become one. As the show returns for its much-anticipated third season (and likely its last) on April 12 following a four-year hiatus, it’s worth looking back at where some of the show’s young stars were when the series first aired—and how far they’ve come since.
Maude Apatow: The daughter of director Judd Apatow and actor Leslie Mann, Maude has been surrounded by show business her entire life. While there may be more than a touch of nepotism behind some of her earliest roles in films like “Knocked Up” (2007) and “Funny People” (2009)—both directed by her father—she had to earn her place on “Euphoria” on her own. Even though she grew up onscreen, Apatow found the audition process nerve-racking. “The final one was with the network; it’s you in a room, performing in front of 15 people in suits. I was so anxious I just blacked out,” she told Net-a-Porter.
These days, Apatow is something of a multihyphenate. She has appeared in several films, including “The King of Staten Island” (2020) and “One of Them Days” (2025), and directed her first feature, “Poetic License” (2025), starring Andrew Barth Feldman and her own mother, Mann. Much like her theater-loving “Euphoria” character, Lexi, she also made some stage appearances, including in “Little Shop of Horrors” Off-Broadway and “Cabaret” on the West End, both in 2023. Her wide-ranging skill set proves there’s no single path to building on career momentum. The best strategy is to chase your own interests.
Maude Apatow on “Euphoria” Season 2 and 3 Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
Alexa Demie: Prior to booking the role of Maddy on “Euphoria,” Demie had a modest foothold in the industry, with a handful of TV credits and roles in “Brigsby Bear” (2017) and “Mid90s” (2018), written and directed by Jonah Hill. Her path to “Euphoria” ran through a near-miss. “I auditioned for [director] Augustine Frizell’s film ‘Never Goin’ Back’ a year before the ‘Euphoria’ audition, and I was about to get the role and I didn’t. But she e-mailed me and said, ‘i love you, we are going to work together,’ ” Demie told W Magazine in 2019. “A year from that date, she e-mailed me about ‘Euphoria.’ At the time, I was so discouraged about acting because I wasn’t getting any scripts that I loved.… I thought I would take a break from acting and make music, and then I got the ‘Euphoria’ script and I knew I had to be a part of this.”
While Demie hasn’t had the same career explosion as some of her co-stars, that may be by design. She’s notably private—The Cut went so far as to call her “elusive”—rarely giving interviews and maintaining little internet presence (her Instagram hasn’t had a new post in years). Her ability to maintain an air of mystery proves that even if you play a beloved character on one of television’s hottest shows, a parasocial relationship with the public is not a required part of stardom.
Alexa Demie on “Euphoria” Season 1 and 3 Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
Jacob Elordi: In 2017, Elordi was contemplating calling his acting career quits. “I wasn’t booking jobs. I think I had—I don’t know, $400 or $800 left in my bank account—and ‘Euphoria’ was my last audition before I went home for a little while to make some money and recuperate,” he told GQ in a 2022 interview. While Elordi claimed the initial audition didn’t go particularly well, he managed to land the role of troubled jock Nate Jacobs.
If the 2018 release of “The Kissing Booth”—a Netflix film he shot prior to booking “Euphoria”—put his name on the map, “Euphoria” skyrocketed Elordi to stardom. In the years since, he has starred in “Priscilla” (2023), “Saltburn” (2023), and “Wuthering Heights” (2026)—as well as Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” (2025), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. If there’s anything to learn from Elordi’s career, it’s to push through the moments when you feel like quitting; a career-changing opportunity may be just around the corner.
Jacob Elordi on “Euphoria” Season 1 and 3 Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
Hunter Schafer: It’s hard to believe while watching her nuanced performances episode after episode, but “Euphoria” was Schafer’s first acting gig. She was working as a model when she spotted a casting call on Instagram specifically seeking trans performers. Despite having zero expectations (“I had been interested in trying acting…but, didn’t really push myself to do it,” she told Entertainment Weekly), she ended up landing the part.
Casting director Jennifer Venditti was impressed not only by Schafer’s natural ability, but also by something less tangible: her willingness to be present in scenes that weren’t about her. In an interview with Variety, Venditti recalled that “[Schafer] also did something that I think is so beautiful: When it was time for the other young woman to do a scene that was hers, she showed up for her. She was so present and so natural with these other scenes that weren’t hers. You find that with good actors, that’s what they do for each other.”
Since the show’s premiere, Schafer has worked consistently, with starring roles in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” (2023) and “Cuckoo” (2024). Her trajectory demonstrates that you don’t need years of prestigious training to succeed; natural talent and a willingness to learn will take you far.
Hunter Schafer on “Euphoria” Season 1 and 3 Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
Sydney Sweeney: Despite an already-impressive résumé, with roles on “The Handmaid’s Tale” (2017), “Sharp Objects” (2018), and “Everything Sucks!” (2018), to name just a few, Sweeney initially couldn’t land an audition for “Euphoria.” Although she was told she wasn’t right for the show, she obtained the script through her agents and self-taped for the role of Cassie anyway. The creative team loved her, and the rest was history.
Like many of her cast mates, “Euphoria” transformed Sweeney from a working actor into a celebrity. In 2022, she earned the rare distinction of receiving Emmy nominations twice in one year, once for “Euphoria” and once for her role as Olivia on the first season of Mike White’s “The White Lotus” (2021). More recently, she played the titular role in the Christy Martin biopic “Christy” (2025) and starred in “The Housemaid” (2025). Young actors looking to follow Sweeney’s lead should remember to advocate for themselves. If you truly feel you’re right for a role, don’t be afraid to find a way in the door.
Sydney Sweeney on “Euphoria” Season 1 and 3 Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
Zendaya: Easily the most recognizable member of the cast when “Euphoria” premiered in 2019, Zendaya practically grew up performing. Her first professional acting job was playing Joe in TheatreWorks’ production of “Caroline, or Change” in 2008, but she rose to stardom with tweens everywhere when she played Rocky Blue on Disney Channel’s “Shake It Up” (2010–2013). By the time she was cast on “Euphoria,” she was already an A-lister, having appeared in films including “The Greatest Showman” (2017) and “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017).
Zendaya had little in common with her character, and casting reportedly considered hiring an unknown actor who had experienced substance abuse. But show creator Sam Levinson had Zendaya in mind to play troubled teen Rue from the start, even featuring her face on a mood board he presented to HBO. For her part, Zendaya welcomed the role at what felt like a pivotal crossroads. In an interview with Collider, she recalled: “I had a lot of fears, prior to even knowing that this script existed, about what I was gonna do next, what I should do next, and what I was looking for. I had all of these ideas in my head about what the next move should be, and there was nothing that I felt like I was connecting with.… And then, ‘Euphoria’ came along. When I read it, I immediately just loved it. There’s no other way to put it.”
That decision proved to be an extraordinarily smart one. Zendaya’s emotionally charged performance earned widespread critical acclaim, including a Golden Globe and two Emmy awards for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, making her the youngest actor ever to receive two acting Emmys. Outside of “Euphoria,” she has starred in the ongoing “Dune” trilogy (2021, 2024, 2026), “Challengers” (2024), and the recent release “The Drama” (2026).
Zendaya on “Euphoria” Season 1 and 3 Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO