Angus Cloud, ‘Euphoria’ star, dead at 25

CNN

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — Angus Cloud, a rising actor best known for his role in the HBO drama “Euphoria,” has died, his family announced in a statement to CNN on Monday.

He was 25.

“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 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,” they wrote.

“We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone,” his family added. “We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss.”

Cloud “was determined to be already deceased” when first responders from the Oakland Fire Department were dispatched on Monday around 11:30 a.m. PT for a medical emergency, Michael Hunt, a public information officer for the fire department, told CNN.

A cause of death has not yet been determined.

The Oakland Police Department and the Alameda County Coroner’s office are handling the investigation, Hunt said. CNN has reached out to their offices for comment.

Cloud’s breakout role came in 2019 as Fezco, a sweet-natured drug dealer who cared deeply for Rue, played by Zendaya, in “Euphoria.”

“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” an HBO spokesperson told CNN. “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.” (HBO, like CNN, is part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)

Storm Reid, who plays Gia Bennett in “Euphoria,” posted a tribute to Cloud on her Instagram story Monday, sharing a clip of a laughter-filled scene between Cloud and Maude Apatow from the series.

“The tears just won’t stop,” Reid wrote.

The Oakland native recalled in an interview with iD in March how he was discovered by a casting agent on the streets of Brooklyn.

“I definitely thought it could be some kind of scam,” he laughed. “Then they brought me back in and they showed me the role, and it made more sense. Because in my mind I was like, they stopped me because I look like I could be a star? Then I’m like, no, it’s because I look like I could be a drug dealer.”

When “Euphoria” took off, Cloud said he was surprised by his own success.

“The difference between me and everyone else who’s famous it’s that they were trying to go get famous, for the most part,” he told the publication. “They were working hard, and they were like, ‘I’m going to make it to the top’. For me, it was just like too good of an opportunity to say no to. I had no idea it would go this far.”

While Cloud’s distinct, gravelly voice on-screen and off gave many the impression he was playing himself in “Euphoria,” he resisted comparisons to his character Fez.

“It does bother me,” Cloud told Variety in an interview last year, “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. I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want. It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”

In the same interview, he talked about several upcoming projects and new roles he was excited about taking on.

Cloud is credited to appear in an untitled thriller from Universal Pictures, who announced in May that he was set to join the cast alongside Katheryn Newton, Dan Stevens and Melissa Barrera. He also stars alongside Pedro Pascal in the Oakland-set drama “Freaky Tales,” which wrapped production in January.

Not seeking fame, Cloud expressed a laissez faire attitude about his Hollywood success and contentment with idea of returning to his native Northern California some day.

“Oakland’s where my heart’s at,” he told iD. “It’s just a beautiful place to be.”

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CNN’s Taylor Romine contributed to this report.