Dan Stevens Says It Was ‘Delightful’ to Give Hunter Schafer a ‘Very, Very Different Experience’ from ‘Euphoria’
Dan Stevens thinks the “Euphoria” set was a little cuckoo — and he wasn’t even on the show.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Stevens raved about his “Cuckoo” co-star Hunter Schafer. Stevens believes she had a great experience on their shared film set; “Cuckoo” is Schafer’s first movie. The same cannot be said for the general experience on what became Schafer’s breakout role, HBO’s “Euphoria.”
More from IndieWire
'Industry' Creators on the Wild Season 3 Premiere: 'It's a Seismic Change in the Makeup of the Show'
“By all accounts,” Stevens said, the “Euphoria” experience was “not a terribly pleasant one.”
“Her only experience prior to this was working on ‘Euphoria,’ which is a very, very different experience, and by all accounts, not a terribly pleasant one,” Stevens said. “I think it was refreshing and delightful for her to realize that not every job needs to be like ‘Euphoria.’ It was nice to be able to present that and to be a part of that. We can still shoot this incredibly fucked-up, difficult scene, but everybody’s still friends at the end of the day and nobody needs to have months of therapy afterwards.”
Stevens added, “There’s nothing more exciting than doing your first movie, especially the lead, at the dawn of a very, very exciting career. There was a real energy there. She’s got a great attitude on and off set.”
IndieWire has reached out to Schafer’s team for comment on Stevens’ remarks.
“Euphoria” has been off the air since Season 2 concluded in February 2022. HBO confirmed that Season 3 will begin filming in January 2025 despite reports of a toxic workplace environment led by showrunner Sam Levinson. Schafer, along with Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and the rest of the principal cast, was announced to return.
However, Schafer recently said during the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she has “no fucking idea” about the slated third season.
“The real tea is I have no fucking idea what’s going on,” she said, “and you can ask literally all of the cast. […] If we do go back, that’s going to be tough.”
“Euphoria” Season 3 has been plagued with strike delays and rumors of clashes between showrunner Levinson and two-time Emmy winner Zendaya, who also produces the show. In a July 2024 exposé published in The Hollywood Reporter, a source said Zendaya turned down Levinson’s initial script ideas for “Euphoria” Season 3. She felt he was too focused on his other HBO series “The Idol.”
During “Call Her Daddy,” Schafer cited network politics as dragging out the Season 3 prep, while still staying mum whether or not the show will actually return.
“I think there’s a world in which we can channel that into making it a beautiful Season 3 if it is supposed to happen, but I think that shit really threw everyone for a loop,” Schafer said of losing co-stars Barbie Ferreira and late actor Angus Cloud. “And then there’s all these industry, whatever, political things that go into whether or not this is happening, but that’s emotionally … a big part of what’s happening, too.”
Schafer said she originally planned on quitting acting for TV after “Euphoria” concludes, but she is set to start in Amazon Prime Video’s “Blade Runner 2099” series.
Best of IndieWire
Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See
'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie
The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
