Why Elliot Actor Dominic Fike Was Almost Fired By HBO

Dominic Fike explained how the subject matter of "Euphoria" hit a little too close to his own real-life troubles, pointing out how the cross-pollination between fact and fiction made it extra challenging for him to work on the HBO series. The actor and musician explained that he was genuinely on drugs for some of the scenes he did.

"I was a drug addict, and coming onto a show mainly about drugs was very difficult," said Fike. "Sam, the director and writer, got me a sober coach, somebody to be there all the time. Did not work," the performer recalled. "... I was so f***ed up during a lot of that show. It was really bad."

Still, despite his difficulties behind the scenes, Fike was effective in his role as Elliot, a character who only becomes more compelling as Season 2 of "Euphoria" goes on. The actor also pointed out that, despite the criticisms, showrunner Sam Levinson actually ended up using some of the scenes where he was high in the show.

Overall, it sounds like he felt a bit lost while shooting the series, which makes it somewhat questionable as to whether his character will return for "Euphoria" Season 3. "That's entertainment, dude," Fike said. "They give you a bunch of money, and they're just like, 'Yeah, figure it out, bud. Sink or swim.'"