No, they’re not actually in Euphoria High! Rue Bennett and Nate Jacobs may be counting down the days until their high school graduation, but in real life, actors Zendaya and Jacob Elordi are way older than the characters they play in the HBO series.
When the show premiered in June 2019, Rue was kicking off her junior year at East Highland High School. As the show goes on — and with the February 2022 announcement that season 3 is on the way — fans watch as the protagonist starts to learn that there are consequences to her actions as she gets older.
“It’s a difficult season, I’m kinda in the middle of it. I had like a 2:30 a.m. wrap time last night, we’re in the thick of it. But, you know, the show was intense,” Zendaya told Teen Vogue in July 2021, months before the second season’s January 2022 premiere. “And it’s very personal to, not only ourselves and all the people who work on it, but also, to other people who have been able to relate so deeply to the characters or see their experiences being reflected through Rue. So we take that very seriously.”
At the time, the Disney Channel alum noted that season 2 would be “challenging” — and it’s evident that all the teenagers are going through their own challenges.
“It’s gonna be hard and it’s gonna be devastating sometimes, but I think Rue really deserves all of that care when it comes to her character, because I think she represents a lot for so many people,” Zendaya added. “And I hope to make those people proud with our depictions of Rue [and] where all the characters go. I think this season’s not going to be easy, though. It’s not going to be a fun watch, I don’t think. Sometimes.”
Other than the hard-to-watch moments in the series, Euphoria has also inadvertently created its own social media meme and TikTok trend. With its unique fashion and beauty trends, the HBO series has fans creating their own Euphoria High looks and posting them online. Some celebs, like Megan Fox, even took part in the trend. The Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen actress uploaded a series of photos on Instagram alongside a caption that read, “If I were the AP Literature teacher at Euphoria High.”
As it turns out, some of the show’s stars are actually old enough to be a teacher at the high school. Scroll through our gallery to uncover the Euphoria cast’s real ages.
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