'This is not 'The Moral Message Show,'' former Disney star Zendaya says of the new series' unflinching portrait of high-school life.
Zendaya, left, and Hunter Schafer star in HBO's new boundary-pushing portrayal of teen life,"Euphoria."
Inside the energetic Crossroads restaurant on Melrose Avenue, Zendaya and her costar, Hunter Schafer, are deep in discussion about the need for a dark, uncensored exploration on teen life — an antidote to the glossier version typically pushed on television. Based on the Israeli series of the same name, “Euphoria” was adapted for HBO by Sam Levinson and counts rapper Drake — a graduate of the more wholesome teen series “Degrassi: The Next Generation” — as an executive producer. Levinson, 34, pulled from his own troubled youth and battle with anxiety, depression and addiction to opiates in creating the series.
“They become each other’s alternative to the toxic elements in their lives” is how Schafer describes the relationship between the characters.Stepping into the roles was its own coming-of-age tightrope for the young actresses. For Schafer, “Euphoria” marks her first TV series. The Raleigh, N.C., native had been working in New York as a model for fashion heavy-hitters like Dior and Marc Jacobs. She was set to go to fashion design school when she saw a casting call on Instagram seeking a trans actress for the series.
When the conversation turns to whether they share any similarities with the characters they play, the two become contemplative.“One of the first things that lined up was just that we had similar transition timelines — we both transitioned on the earlier side of high school,” Schafer says. “I kind of could see her from the beginning, as far as what she looks like and what her energy was like, and it wasn't that far off.
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