Dominic Fike has opened up about his struggles with drug addiction, revealing that it almost cost him his role on Euphoria.
The 27-year-old joined Sam Levinson’s gritty teen drama in its second season as Elliot, a drug user who influences Rue’s (Zendaya) dangerous relapse.
Sitting down with New Zeland DJ Zane Lowe for a recent wide-ranging Apple Music video interview, Fike admitted that he was “a drug addict” when he was cast.
“And coming on a show that’s, you know, mainly about drugs, is very difficult,” the “Babydoll” singer said. “Sam, the director and writer, got me a sober coach, somebody to be there all the time. It did not work.”
Asked if he had ever filmed scenes while high, Fike responded: “Oh my god. Yeah, dude. I was so f***ed up during a lot of that show. It was really bad.”
He recalled being “reprimanded for it”, adding: “I almost, you know, got kicked off the show… They were like, ‘Bro, you cannot be doing this.’”
Ultimately, Fike was not fired. In fact, some of the takes he shot while high were actually used in the final cut because Levinson “had to” as he was left with no other option.
Dominic Fike— (Getty Images)
“That’s entertainment,” the actor said. “You know, they give you a bunch of money and they’re just like, ‘Figure it out bud.’ Sink or swim.”
The Independent has contacted HBO and Levinson for comment.
Fike, who is now sober, said he was looking forward to returning for season three.
“It’s going to be sick, you know. I think I have a better dynamic with everybody... well, I mean, almost everybody,” he laughed, appearing to confirm his split from Euphoria co-star Hunter Schafer.
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After Lowe reassured him he is “not the first actor to fall in love with a co-star”, Fike replied: “I know... You’re in this f***ing very sped up form of intimacy.”
Equating acting to “getting naked in front of somebody”, he added: “You’re just doing this very silly thing, and you’re forced to be your silliest and most vulnerable in front of somebody, and obviously that accelerates any sort of intimacy that there might already be, and so relationships or flings are put on a fast track.”
Fike and Schafer, 24, were first linked in February 2022 when they posted a photo of themselves kissing on Instagram. They made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Vanity Fair Oscars party the next month.
