Dominic Fike, star of Euphoria, has confessed that his drug addiction nearly got him fired from the famous show.
The 27-year-old actor was best known as a popular singer before being cast in the second season of Sam Levinson’s HBO drama as Elliot, a new acquaintance of Rue (Zendaya).
However, he has now revealed that he fought to overcome his drug addiction while working on the programme, which also depicts youngsters dealing with similar challenges.
It got so terrible that he almost lost his job at one point.
‘I was a drug addict, and coming onto a show, you know, mainly about drugs is very difficult,’ he explained.
‘I was so f***ed up doing a lot of that show…it was really bad.
‘I was reprimanded for it. I almost, you know, got kicked off the show…they were like “bro, you cannot be doing this”,’ he recalled when speaking to Zane Lowe for Apple Music.
Reflecting on that period, Dominic also stated that series creator Sam did his best to assist him, arranging for a’sober coach,’ but it didn’t make a difference because he was high all the time.
When asked if he had ever recorded while under the influence, Dominic said, ‘Oh my God, yeah dude.’
He went on to say that producers were compelled to use footage shot while he was high, which Zane described as a “bit of a double standard” because they had asked the actor to do his job sober but were still obtaining a “fantastic moment” with him when high.
‘Yeah, that’s entertainment dude,’ Dominic said.
‘They give you a bunch of money and they’re like, “Yeah, figure it out bud. Sink or swim”.’
Last year, the actor said that he had eaten mushrooms prior to his chemistry read with Barbie Ferreira, who portrayed Kat on the first two seasons.
‘I started peaking right when me and Barbie were reading,’ he told GQ, adding that he didn’t get the part at the time.
‘I was heavily addicted to so many drugs.’
After Dominic entered treatment in 2020, casting directors approached him again to give him the job, according to GQ.
Now sober, he said that the upcoming third season is ‘gonna be sick’ and that he now had a ‘better dynamic with everybody’.
However, he did reference his recent split from co-star Hunter Schafer, adding: ‘I mean, well, I don’t know. Almost everybody. I think it’ll be fine. We’re all adults, kind of. I’m trying.’
Earlier this week he told the LA Times that he had ‘decided to be alone for awhile’.
Euphoria is streaming on NOW.
