Euphoria Season 3's Kevin Turen Tribute Explained

After a very long wait, season 3 of HBO's hit drama "Euphoria" has finally premiered. The new season takes place five years after the events of the previous season, marking a significant shift from its original high school setting with this time jump. This premiere episode ended on a rather somber note, paying tribute to three cast and crew members who died after the second season of the show aired. This in-memoriam section was dedicated to late actors Eric Dane (who played Cal Jacobs) and Angus Cloud (who played the fan-favorite Fezco), along with executive producer Kevin Turen.

Cloud, who also appeared in films such as "The Line" and "North Hollywood," died at the age of 25 in 2023. Dane, best known for his stint on "Grey's Anatomy," was able to reprise his role as Cal in the third season before his death in February this year.

"Euphoria" producer Kevin Turen died in November 2025 due to cardiac dysfunction and heart disease. Turen's credits include Ti West's "X" horror film series, "Pieces of a Woman," and "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent." Per Deadline, series creator Sam Levinson made a statement about the late cast and crew members while presenting the third season's first episode at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles:

"Some people ask why it took so long between seasons 2 and 3. There were obvious factors — the strikes, trying to make a schedule work with our very in-demand cast — but the real time was in trying to figure out how to find a way to pay respect to those who we lost."

During "Euphoria" season 3's premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre, Levinson also added that the latest season has been dedicated to "those who we lost: Angus, Kevin, and Eric." It is worth noting that the character arcs of Cal and Fezco require sensitive handling in the latest season, and we'll have to wait and see how Levinson addresses these character departures within the ambit of the evolving narrative.

Turen started his career as an executive at First Look Pictures, an indie film and home video distributor based in Los Angeles. He went on to work with various companies to develop and produce film titles throughout the early 2000s, including the acclaimed Richard Gere-led financial thriller "Arbitrage." 

After joining screenwriter/director David S. Goyer's production company in 2014, Turen worked closely with Levinson on "Assassination Nation," the well-liked black comedy thriller that was praised for its frenetic visual style. This kickstarted an extended collaboration between the two. Turen would go on to produce the Zendaya-starrer "Malcolm & Marie" and work as executive producer on both "Euphoria" and the critically-maligned Levinson show, "The Idol."

Per The Hollywood Reporter, there are some additional behind-the-scenes factors worth considering, including Turen's major creative fallout with Levinson (who was also his close friend) and the loss of a lucrative deal at HBO months before his death. These factors line up with the controversies surrounding Levinson's approach as a writer/director on the show, and the resulting tensions with several cast and crew members.

New episodes of "Euphoria" air Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.