Angus Cloud, the actor best known for his role on HBO’s teen drama Euphoria, has died aged 25, his family confirmed on Monday.
Cloud’s publicist, Cait Bailey said Cloud died on Monday at his family home in Oakland, California. No cause of death was given.
“It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today,” Cloud’s family said in a statement.
Cloud’s father had recently died, the statement said, and the actor “intensely struggled with the loss”.
“As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways … 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.”
Cloud, who was from Oakland, rose to fame on Euphoria playing drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill. He quickly became a fan favorite.
To some, Cloud seemed so natural as Fez that they suspected he was identical to the character – a notion the actor challenged.
“It does bother me when people are like, ‘It must be so easy! You get to go in and be yourself.’ I’m like, ‘Why don’t you go and do that?’ It’s not that simple,” Cloud told Variety. “I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want. It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”
Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in Euphoria. He was walking down the street in New York when the casting scout Eléonore Hendricks noticed him. Cloud was resistant at first, suspecting a scam. Then the casting director Jennifer Venditti met with him and the series creator Sam Levinson eventually made him a co-star in the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.
Levinson told the Hollywood Reporter: “There was no one quite like Angus. He was too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon. He also struggled, like many of us, with addiction and depression. I hope he knew how many hearts he touched. I loved him. I always will.”
Mason Shea Joyce, the actor who plays a young Fez on Euphoria, said: “He was kind and supportive, never too busy for a quick chat or pep talk. It was an honor to play young Fezco.”
A day after his death, Cloud’s Euphoria co-star Zendaya shared a tribute on Instagram.
“Words are not enough to describe the infinite beauty that is Angus (Conor),” she captioned a black-and-white, smiling photo of the actor. “I’m so grateful I got the chance to know him in this life, to call him a brother, to see his warm kind eyes and bright smile, or hear his infectious cackle of a laugh (I’m smiling now just thinking of it).
“I know people use this expression often when talking about folks they love … ‘they could light up any room they entered’ but boy let me tell you, he was the best at it,” she continued. “I’d like to remember him that way. For all of the boundless light, love and joy he always managed to give us. I’ll cherish every moment.”
The 26-year-old Dune star added that her “heart is with his mother and family at this time and please be kind and patient as grief looks different for everyone”.
“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” HBO said in a statement. “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.”
Cloud had a supporting role in his first film, The Line, a college drama starring Alex Wolff and John Malkovich that premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Festival. He’s also made cameos in music videos for Juice WRLD, Becky G and Karol G. Cloud had recently finished filming his role in an as-yet-untitled monster thriller for Universal, directed by the makers of Scream 6, set to be released in April next year, a source confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter.
• This article was amended on 1 August 2023 to clarify that Cloud was directed by the makers of Scream 6 in the Universal monster thriller; he did not co-star in Scream 6 as stated in an earlier version.
