The long wait for Euphoria Season 3 ended on April 12, 2026. The HBO show jumped five years into the future. The characters are no longer in high school. They are now young adults dealing with much bigger problems. The first four episodes have already brought major shock. A wedding turned into a crime scene. A character lost a toe. A pop star showed up as a stripper wearing a neck brace.
Here is a complete breakdown of who played whom in Euphoria Season 3 Episode 1-4. This list covers the returning favorites and the new faces shaking things up.
Zendaya Returns as Rue Bennett
Zendaya is back as Ruby “Rue” Bennett. She is still the heart of the show, but her life looks very different now. She is not just a teenager in trouble. In these episodes, Rue becomes a DEA informant. She works at a strip club owned by a criminal named Alamo. Her job is to gather information, but she keeps almost getting caught. Zendaya has won two Emmys for this role. She is known for the Spider-Man movies, Dune, and Challengers.
Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi: The Dark Couple
Sydney Sweeney plays Cassie Howard. Cassie is no longer the crier she was in past seasons. She started an OnlyFans to pay for her wedding to Nate. She later reinvents herself as an LA influencer to escape her money problems.
Jacob Elordi plays Nate Jacobs. He is still dangerous. He owes a lot of money to a Russian loan shark. In episode 3, Naz the loan shark walks into Nate’s home and cuts off one of his toes. Elordi is also famous for Saltburn, The Kissing Booth, and Frankenstein.
Hunter Schafer and Alexa Demie: Finding Their Own Paths
Hunter Schafer returns as Jules Vaughn. Rue’s ex did not go to art school like she planned. Instead, she works as an “esc*rt” with a rich client. In a funny scene in episode 4, she paints 14 penises on a canvas for a TV show. Schafer recently starred in *Cuckoo* and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Alexa Demie plays Maddy Perez. Maddy shows up at her ex-boyfriend Nate’s wedding. She wears a revenge dress but does not cause a scene. She later helps Cassie with her influencer makeover. Demie has been in Mid90s and Waves.
Maude Apatow and Eric Dane: Two Different Fates
Maude Apatow is Lexi Howard. She might be the only character who is doing well. Lexi works as an assistant to a big TV showrunner. She acts like a guide for Rue when Rue gets lost. Apatow is known for Knocked Up and The King of Staten Island.
Eric Dane plays Cal Jacobs. He is Nate’s father. He remains a source of family tension in the episodes. There is sadness behind the scenes. Eric Dane passed away before season 3 aired. He was known as “McSteamy” on Grey‘s Anatomy.
The New Faces (Episodes 1-4)
Many new actors joined the show this season. Here are the most important ones from the first four episodes.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays Alamo Brown. He owns a strip club. He also runs drugs and guns. He gives Rue her dangerous jobs. You know him from Lost and The Mummy Returns.
Rosalía plays Magick. The famous Spanish singer plays a stripper. Her character wears a crystal-covered neck brace for the whole season. Rosalía has a past relationship with Hunter Schafer in real life, which made fans talk a lot.
Sharon Stone plays Patty Lance. She is a tough TV showrunner. Lexi works for her. In episode 4, she tells Lexi she cannot use Jules’s inappropriate painting.
Chloe Cherry returns as Faye. She was upped to a series regular this season. In episode 4, her lips help solve a crime clue.
Colman Domingo is back as Ali. He is Rue’s sponsor and moral support. Domingo won an Emmy for this role. He was also Oscar-nominated for Rustin and Sing Sing.
Martha Kelly returns as Laurie. The creepy drug dealer is still a threat in Rue’s life.
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Guest Stars to Look Out For
The first four episodes are packed with cameos. Kadeem Hardison plays Big Eddy, a strip club enforcer. Anna Van Patten plays Kitty, a new dancer from Kansas. Jack Topalian plays Naz, the loan shark who cuts off Nate’s toe. Madison Thompson plays Oceana. Eli Roth, the famous horror director, appears in episode 1 as a creepy Uber driver wearing a Batman mask.
Who Is Missing?
Some old faces are gone. Storm Reid (Gia, Rue’s sister) does not appear. Nika King (Leslie Bennett, Rue’s mom) is also not in these episodes. Barbie Ferreira (Kat) left the show before season 3 started.
Angus Cloud, who played Fezco, passed away in 2023. His character is not in this season.
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