The wedding of Nate Jacobs and Cassie Howard was supposed to be the best day of their lives. But the third episode of Euphoria Season 3 turned into a bloody nightmare for the couple. Viewers watched in shock as loan shark Naz, played by actor Jack Topalian, crashed the reception and later cut off Nate’s toe inside their new mansion. The scene is violent, shocking, and very hard to watch. Behind the scenes, actor Jack Topalian is now sharing exactly how they filmed that brutal moment and what it was like working with Jacob Elordi.
A Wedding Dream Turns Into A Violent Nightmare
For most of the episode, Cassie is trying to hold onto her perfect image. She spent $50,000 on flowers and planned every detail to look like a dream from social media. But Nate has been hiding a big problem. He owes Naz over half a million dollars and has been ignoring his phone calls. During the reception, Naz shows up to remind Nate that the money is due.
After the party, Nate carries Cassie over the threshold of their home. Instead of a romantic night, they find Naz and a henchman waiting for them. A terrible fight breaks out. The henchman beats Nate badly, smashing his face and dragging him on the floor. Then, Naz pulls out a pair of pruning clippers and cuts off Nate’s toe.
Jack Topalian Explains The Scary Prop
In a recent interview, Jack Topalian opened up about the tool used in the scene. He explained that the clippers were very real and very sharp. He had to be extremely careful while filming with Jacob Elordi to make sure no one actually got hurt.
“There’s a cutting of a particular body part that my character takes great pleasure in doing. The clippers that they gave me have pretty sharp edges. So I had to be really mindful of that, because at one point, I do put it around Jake’s toe. If I squeezed a little too hard, it would literally cut his toe. But, everything turned out well. There were no mishaps, no accidents.”
Topalian confirmed that they used a prosthetic toe for the close-up shots. Still, the risk was real because the tool was so sharp. He joked that everything ended well, and no real toes were lost during the making of the show.
Jacob Elordi Did His Own Stunts
The fight scene looks very painful, and that is because Jacob Elordi actually did most of the fighting himself. Topalian praised the actor for his hard work and dedication during the “few days” it took to film the sequence.
“That’s [Elordi] really doing the struggling and the fighting and the falling and all of that. There’s a lot of physicality involved with Jacob and Matthew. Jacob did a lot of his own stunts.”
Despite the violent nature of the scene, Topalian said the mood on set was actually light and fun. Elordi stayed in character during the takes, but as soon as the director yelled cut, he went back to being his normal self.
“Obviously, he gets back into character really quickly. But once [the director calls ‘cut’] even though he’s been beaten and abused, he’s still having a lot of fun. He’s still cracking jokes and doing things like that.”
The Henchman Is A Former NFL Player
Fans might not know the face of the man hurting Nate, but he is played by Matt Willig. He is a former NFL player and Super Bowl champion. Willig plays the henchman who does most of the dirty work in the scene.
Topalian had great things to say about his co-star. He called Willig a “gem of a person” and a very strong actor. In the story, Naz does not like to get his hands dirty, so he lets the henchman do the beating while Naz handles the final cut.
“He’s an amazing actor as well. So, he ends up doing all the dirty work. [My character is] the kind of guy where I’m not going to get my hands dirty, but I’m going to get my money, one way or another.”
The Hidden Meaning Behind The Beautiful Set
It is not just the violence that has people talking. The wedding set itself is a major part of the story. Production Designer François Audouy spoke about building the look of the wedding. He said that the beautiful flowers and ice sculptures are meant to hide a dark truth.
Audouy explained that the setting shows how people today try to look perfect on the outside even when things are falling apart on the inside. He wanted the wedding to look beautiful but also feel like a tragedy waiting to happen. He described the look as something made for social media, like Pinterest or Instagram, where everything looks fun and rich, but the reality is very different.
“It’s the idea that if the exterior is beautiful enough, the interior rot doesn’t matter. I wanted to create a space that felt like a tragedy that was living inside perfection.”
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What Fans Are Saying About The Episode
The episode has caused a huge reaction online. Many viewers were not expecting the story to take such a dark turn. The show has always been known for shocking moments, but this wedding scene is being compared to the famous Red Wedding from Game of Thrones because of how suddenly the violence happens.
Fans are now worried about what comes next for Nate and Cassie. With Nate now missing a toe and deeply in debt, their future looks very uncertain. Some fans think Cassie might have to go back to making online content to pay the bills, but this time out of fear instead of choice.
Euphoria Season 3 continues every Sunday on HBO and Max. Episode 3 is now available to stream. Episode 4, titled “Kitty Likes to Dance,” will arrive on May 3, 2026.
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