With the highly anticipated third season confirmed to be returning in 2026, let’s see what the main cast has been up to since we last saw them
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY HBO
It’s been three years since the season two finale of the hit show Euphoria came out. And now, there is an end to our waiting in sight. Euphoria season three is confirmed to be returning to our screens in spring 2026.
As well as tragically losing the late Angus Cloud, who played Fezco in the show, more of our favourite characters from seasons one and two will not be returning for the third instalment. However, we’ll still be reunited with a lot of the main cast. As we prepare to step back into the wild world of Euphoria, let’s take a look to see what they’ve been up to since we saw them last.
Zendaya (Rue)
Rue is the main protagonist of the show and Zendaya delivers a gripping performance when it comes to portraying Rue’s mental state as an addict. The actor has proven she sure has range, because she went from portraying Rue to reprising her role as Chani in the Dune sequel. Suffice to say, the two characters are very different. Following this, we got to see Zendaya step into Tashi Donaldson’s tennis shoes in the sweaty, sporty and queer film Challengers. In 2026, she remains booked and busy as she will be starring in Dune: Part Three, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.
Hunter Schafer (Jules)
Since the credits rolled on season two, Hunter has added some impressive credits to her resume. She portrayed the iconic Tigris in The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes. She delivered a haunting performance in the popular horror film Cuckoo. And she joined the star studded cast of Kinds Of Kindness in 2024. We can’t wait to see her in the upcoming Mother Mary (where Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel will play lesbian lovers) as well as in next year’s Blade Runner 2099.
Barbie Ferreira (Kat)
Sadly, one of my personal favourites from Euphoria, Kat, will not be returning for this next chapter. Since saying goodbye to the role, Barbie – who is an openly queer actor – has acted in Jordan Peele’s Nope, and loaned her voice to the animated series Robot Chicken. She’s also played Lucia in House Of Spoils and Grace in Mile End Kicks. But, I can’t talk about what Barbie’s been up to without talking about Bob Trevino Likes It aka the film that made me cry the most (but also healed me the most) this year. Barbie’s performance was absolutely masterful. You must go and see it if you have not already.
Storm Reid (Gia)
Despite playing Rue’s younger sister on the show, Storm will not be returning for season three. Since we last saw her in season two, Storm has taken on roles in films such as One Way, Missing and The Nun II. She also played Bella Ramsey’s love interest in The Last Of Us. She also has a few upcoming roles in the works, so we look forward to seeing what else the young star gets up to.
Maude Apatow (Lexi)
Lexi is another of my personal favourite characters, so I’m glad that it looks like she’s going to be reprising the role. Since the credits rolled last time around, she’s voiced Justine in the animated Pantheon TV series and she’s shared a screen with the iconic Keke Palmer and SZA in One Of Them Days. Oh, and with Queermas around the corner, DIVAs can get excited to see her share a screen with Chloë Grace Moretz in Oh. What. Fun. this December on Prime.
Alexa Demie (Maddy)
Fans are relieved that this singer, songwriter and actor will be returning for the next run of the show as a series regular. We got to see her in one episode of The Idol and Fantasmas, so suffice to say, we’ve missed seeing her on our screens and we can’t wait to see what season three has in store for her iconic character.
Jacob Elordi (Nate)
This is another member of the main cast who has been confirmed to be returning. And he has had a whopping 10 acting credits added to his resume since we last saw him play Nate in the show. Some of those credits include the instant queer classic, Saltburn, as well as Priscilla, On Swift Horses and Frankenstein. Jacob also has three other projects in the works set for release in 2026, so he’s not showing any signs of slowing down.
Dominic Fike (Elliot)
While Dominic has had a few onscreen roles since we last saw Elliot, it’s safe to say that he’s been predominantly focused on music. Not only has he released three albums, he’s also teamed up with queer rapper and singer Kevin Abstract to form Geezer. Dominic also previously dated Hunter and while they have broken up now, they seem to be on good enough terms. On Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, he told Daz: “Yeah, they’re filming it. I was just talking to Hunter. She’s filming it.”
Colmon Domingo (Ali)
If I could use one word to describe Colmon’s acting credits since 2022, it would be this: stacked. Let’s take a look at some of the queer highlights to speed things up. He portrayed Black gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in Netflix’s Rustin. He was in the movie musical adaptation of The Colour Purple. Oh, and we couldn’t forget Drive-Away Dolls. Oh, and he starred in Sabrina Carpenter’s Rocky Horror Picture Show-inspired Tears music video. We can’t get enough of the openly queer actor on our screens and we can’t wait to see what he brings to Euphoria’s third chapter.
Nika King (Leslie)
Sadly, despite playing Rue’s mother, Nika is among those not returning to the show. In 2023 she played Nevine’s Mom in 65, the year after she played Ella Mae Brown and Donna Martin in The Rebel Girls and Sound Of Hope, respectively. Oh, and if, like me, you’re a lover of seasonal films, you’ll be glad to know she’s been part of the upcoming A Thanksgiving Christmas, which is currently in pre-production.
Sydney Sweeney (Cassie)
In Euphoria, Sydney plays Lexi’s older sister, Cassie. Last time around, Cassie was at the centre of a lot of drama, so it will be interesting to see what’s in store for her character. Since season two came to an end, Sydney has acted alongside bisexual icon Halsey in Americana, she’s starred in a romcom largely set at a lesbian wedding. Her most recent acting credit is portraying Christy Martin, an iconic lesbian boxer, in the film Christy.
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