Angus Cloud: Euphoria actor who played 'Fez' dead aged 25
- Published
Angus Cloud, who starred on HBO's hit series Euphoria, has died aged 25.
Cloud, who played drug dealer Fezco "Fez" O'Neill on the teen drama, died on Monday at his family home in Oakland, California, said a publicist.
"It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today," said the Cloud family.
Cloud attended his father's funeral in Ireland last week and, according to his family, "intensely struggled with this loss".
There was some comfort in knowing he was now "reunited with his dad, who was his best friend", they said in a statement.
"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," it said.
"We hope the world remembers him for his humour, laughter and love for everyone."
Two weeks ago, Cloud posted a photo of his father on Instagram and wrote: "miss u breh."
His cause of death has not been confirmed.
Cloud had minor acting credits in two films, North Hollywood and The Line. He had also appeared in music videos for artists including Becky G, Karol G and Juice WRLD.
But his career really took off after he won the part of Fez, a high school drug dealer in Euphoria.
The role turned Cloud into a breakout star, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and his character was expanded in the second season.
In an interview with Variety last year, Cloud said he was bothered by fan comparisons to his on-screen character.
"It's not that simple," he said. "I brought a lot to the character."
As a teenager, he suffered a traumatic brain injury, which is partially responsible for his slow-paced voice on the show.
According to a 2019 interview with GQ, Cloud had no real aspirations to become a star, or even an actor.
He used to work at a chicken and waffle joint, according to the magazine, and one day was unexpectedly stopped in the street by an agent from a casting company.
"I was confused and I didn't want to give her my phone number," Cloud told GQ. "I thought it was a scam."
After first airing in June 2019, Euphoria quickly became a hit and by 2022 was the most tweeted-about TV show of the decade in the US.
The main character, played by Zendaya, is a 17-year-old who struggles with drug abuse, seen on screen taking the deadly opioid fentanyl and injecting morphine.
In 2022, Cloud defended accusations during an interview with TMZ that the show glorified drug use.
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson said: "There was no one quite like Angus. He was too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon."
Sydney Martin, the model who was rumoured to be in an on-off relationship with Cloud, shared broken heart emojis on Instagram after his death was announced.
Cloud's co-star Javon "Wanna" Walton, known in the show as Cloud's adoptive brother, Ashtray, wrote on Instagram: "Rest easy brother."
California congresswoman Barbara Lee lamented the loss of "Oakland's own", in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter,
"His immense talent touched the lives of countless people. His work & legacy will forever live on and make Oakland proud," she wrote.
Actress Kerry Washington also posted on the platform: "You will be deeply missed. Rest in power."
Cloud was immensely talented and a beloved part of the Euphoria family, HBO said in a statement.