Angus Cloud, ‘Euphoria’ star, dies at 25
Angus Cloud, the actor who won over “Euphoria” fans with his endearing portrayal of nonchalant drug dealer Fezco, died Monday at his family home in Oakland. He was 25.
In a statement shared to The Times on Monday, the family said, “it is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today.”
“As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways. Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the statement continued. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
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“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” an HBO spokesperson said in a statement to The Times. “He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”
Oakland Fire Department Chief of Staff Michael Hunt said Cloud’s cause of death is unknown. The fire department was dispatched at approximately 11:30 a.m. to the 200 block of Euclid Avenue in Oakland for a medical emergency. “Upon the arrival, the patient was determined to be already deceased. Per protocol, the body was left in the care of the police department and coroner,” Hunt wrote in an email.
Cloud, born July 10, 1998, in Oakland, never planned to become a Hollywood actor. However, a chance encounter in Manhattan led to his breakout role on the Emmy-winning Sam Levinson series. He acted alongside Oakland School for the Arts alumni Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Hunter Schafer.
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In a 2019 interview with GQ, Cloud said he met a casting company representative in Manhattan and “thought it was a scam.” After hesitantly handing out his contact information, he found himself in the audition room for the “Euphoria” pilot and one thing led to another.
Cloud’s Fezco (also known as Fez) was a soft-spoken friend to Zendaya’s Rue, a teenager battling drug addiction. Donning a chain, jeans and a striped shirt or bulky sweater, Fezco was often the calm amid chaos — whether he was cutting off Rue’s drug supply or romancing Maude Apatow’s Lexi while she wrote her messy, autobiographical play in Season 2.
Fezco was also the adoptive older brother of Javon Walton’s hotheaded Ashtray.
Cloud’s character often said what audiences were thinking (“You’re confused? I’m f— confused!”), making him a near-instant fan favorite. Cloud’s carefree attitude extended into his real life.
The Oakland native regularly went viral on social media. In March 2022, a resurfaced clip of Cloud working his restaurant day job made the rounds. Weeks later, a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight sent Twitter fans into a frenzy.
“What would you tell the fans who had such incredibly, emotional strong reactions to the finale,” an Entertainment Tonight reporter asked Cloud at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscars party.
“I’ll tell them, ‘That’s what’s up,’” he replied. Cloud went on to answer the questions with short, deadpan responses.
Despite similarities in their demeanor, Cloud told Variety in August 2022 that “it does bother me” when people assume Fez is an easy character to take on.
“I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want,’” he said. “It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”
As for his head scar, Cloud told Variety it was a result of breaking his skull from falling into a construction pit in 2013. That was a near-death experience, he added.
The most recent season of “Euphoria” — the show has not started production on Season 3 — ended with Cloud’s Fezco arrested and brokenhearted after a fatal S.W.A.T. raid.
“Euphoria” was Cloud’s first acting job and led to a handful of subsequent projects. After the HBO series premiered, Cloud appeared in several music videos, along with the films “North Hollywood” and “The Line.” He is also set to appear in the movies “Freaky Tales,” “Your Lucky Day” and an untitled monster thriller, according to his IMDb page.
“We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss,” the family statement concluded.
Times staff writer Emily St. Martin contributed to this report.
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