Angus Cloud‘s heartbreaking Euphoria performance skyrocketed him to fame in 2020 before his death at age 25 in July 2023.
“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,” the actor’s family told TMZ in a statement at the time. “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.”
Euphoria star and executive producer Zendaya paid tribute to Cloud the following day. “Words are not enough to describe the infinite beauty that is Angus (Conor),” the Emmy winner shared via Instagram. “I’m so grateful I got the chance to know him in this life, to call him a brother, to see his warm kind eyes and bright smile, or hear his infectious cackle of a laugh (I’m smiling now just thinking of it) I know people use this expression often when talking about folks they love … ‘they could light up any room they entered’ but boy let me tell you, he was the best at it. I’d like to remember him that way. For all of the boundless light, love and joy he always managed to give us. I’ll cherish every moment.”
In the wake of Cloud’s death, Us Weekly is looking back at his best scenes as Fezco on the HBO drama.
Turning Rue Away (‘Euphoria’ season 1, episode 3)
Zendaya used this episode as her Emmy submission in 2020, but this particular scene between her and Cloud was a two-hander. Rue (Zendaya) came to Fezco to get more drugs, but the dealer refused to help her.
“I ain’t gonna help you kill yourself, Rue. I’m sorry but you can’t be coming over here no more,” Fez said before closing the door in her face.
It was Cloud’s performance after shutting the door that helped viewers realize that Fezco wasn’t an evil stereotype of a drug dealer. The character was stuck dealing because he didn’t see another way to keep his family alive — but he refused to play a part in Rue’s inevitable overdose.
Rue, in response to Fez’s refusal, had a raging meltdown on the other side of the door. She screamed insults about him being a “dropout drug dealer with seven functioning f–king brain cells.” She yelled about how he wouldn’t have sold her the drugs if he cared about her. Fez just leans against the closed door, and the emotions he is feeling — regret, pain, worry — all come across so clearly in Cloud’s performance without saying a single word.
It’s seems obvious that this performance made it clear to the writers that he could handle the emotional season 2 finale, in which the camera stayed focused on Fezco as his kid brother Ashtray (Javon Walton) was killed.
Watching ‘Stand by Me’ With Lexi ( ‘Euphoria’ season 2, episode 6)
Fez — like most Euphoria characters — was usually suffering. Audiences saw that he sold drugs because he had become the provider for his family, and he was forced to grow up way too fast. Seeing Fez’s wholesome relationship with Lexi (Maude Apatow) left audiences swooning, due in large part to Cloud’s innocent performance.
As they sat in tears after watching Stand by Me, Fez claimed he has something in his eye. He was sitting awkwardly far from Lexi on the couch and cautiously glanced at her palm before he moved to actually hold her hand and sing the iconic theme song with her. He looked like he was scared to touch Lexi. He knew good things usually didn’t last for him. For once, he seemed like the adolescent he is rather than the adult he’s pretending to be. For just a moment, instead of being a drug dealer covering up murder to protect his brother, Fez was just a boy wondering if he could hold his crush’s hand. And it was perfect.
Confrontation with Cal (‘Euphoria’ season 2, episode 3)
Cloud could always convey so much of Fez’s emotion without saying a word — but he also knew how to perfectly deliver a line too. In perhaps the most-quoted scene of Euphoria, Fez confronted Nate’s father, Cal (Eric Dane), who was snooping around after Nate (Jacob Elordi) claimed Fez had Cal’s sex tape with Jules (Hunter Schafer).
Ashtray held Cal at gunpoint, and Fezco immediately called out Cal’s similarities to Nate. The dad quickly explained that he just wanted the sex tape — but Fez had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Cal explains that Nate claimed he had the disc — and Fezco couldn’t believe Cal was so blind.
“Your son, the one that’s in love with Jule?” Fez asked.
“I’m extremely confused,” Cal said.
Cloud retorted, “You’re confused, I’m f–king confused, bro.”
All of Cloud’s performances on HBO’s Euphoria are available to stream on Max.
