At Sunday’s Spirit Awards, Colman Domingo and Jeremy O. Harris offered their take on the swirl surrounding the HBO phenomenon.
Yesterday was only the second Sunday of the year without a new episode of Euphoria as the HBO phenomenon wrapped up a buzzy second season that aired from Jan. 9 — Feb. 27. Even without a new installment, the Sam Levinson-created series continues to be a hot topic of conversation.
Euphoria, which scored an early season three renewal, broke ratings records and became the most-watched series on HBO since the blockbuster Game of Thrones. The good news has also come with some not-so-stellar headlines: The Daily Beast published back-to-back reports featuring claims of a “toxic production” and “messy behind-the-scenes drama.”
HBO responded to the swirl in a statement: “The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority. The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols. It’s not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer. We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised.”
At Sunday’s Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, a pair of Euphoria insiders — star Colman Domingo and consultant Jeremy O. Harris — separately made stops on the blue carpet to speak with The Hollywood Reporter. Both offered their take on the recent headlines.
Harris, who was appearing at the Spirit Awards for his nominated work on Zola, likened the negative press to what he saw written about Janicza Bravo’s film. “It’s very similar to Zola,” he explained. “Things that are seemingly about young black women, queer people, people don’t see those getting huge numbers or huge awards attention. When they do, they have to find some hole to pick in them. I think that’s something that’s happening with a show that had 20 million views and is the most popular since Game of Thrones. There are no dragons here. It’s just a young black girl trying to struggle with addiction. I think people are trying to figure out what must be wrong to make this thing run the way it has.”
Domingo, also in both the Zola and Euphoria families and nominated Sunday for his work in the former as best supporting male, dismissed the claims by saying, “I don’t think it’s a thing — at least from my experience.” The veteran star, who has been on an impressive run, both critically and commercially with Euphoria, Zola, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Fear the Walking Dead, made a point to praise everyone who worked on the show.
“Every single time I’ve been on that set there’s so much care, so much love, so much creative energy,” Domingo explained. “The reality is that in the television space, we usually shoot 12 to 16 hour days. That’s just the norm across the board, and I’ve never had one problem. Once again, if anything, I’ve had the utmost care and the way we’re taken care of with food and rests, and just care for your schedule, I feel like there’s ultimate consideration. I don’t know where these words are coming from but I think that with anything good, you’re always going to get some backlash, and so you have to be prepared for it.”
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