The news that actress Zendaya is rumored to be earning close to $1 million for season three of Euphoria should come as a relief to those who were worried about the show’s future. The actress plays Rue in the series which depicts teenagers struggling to live in a world where sex, drugs, and violence are prevalent, and has been lauded for her performance as a young woman struggling to overcome drug addiction and her inner demons.
Despite having already made a name for herself prior to the HBO series, it has been her portrayal of Rue that has enthralled many, earning her critical acclaim and accolades, including a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy. It’s no wonder then that the actress is getting a pay bump, as many flock to the series to see watch her tackle one of the most challenging roles in television right now.
It also highlights that the series is on the right track and that HBO is putting a lot of stock into it if it is paying its lead actress so much, and likely also indicates that the network sees a strong future for the show. Euphoria was briefly put on hold due to Zendaya’s scheduling conflict with filming Dune: Part Two, with this new lucrative deal she will likely prioritize the series over any new projects coming her way.
The rumors over this deal come from Matthew Belloni for Puck who wrote,
“A bunch of stars have cracked $1 million per episode, especially on limited series (Michael Keaton on Hulu’s Dopesick, Elisabeth Moss on Apple’s Shining Girls) or even ongoing series (Jason Sudeikis on Ted Lasso, Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren on 1923; Chris Pratt on The Terminal List), and especially when producing fees are factored in. I’m told Zendaya just closed a big re-negotiation on HBO’s Euphoria that likely puts her close to that club.”
As stated above, she is by no means the first actress to be offered so much money for a television role. The cast of Friends was earning $1 million per episode as the show became a global phenomenon, which only proves how HBO views Euphoria. Now that Zendaya’s schedule has cleared up and she doesn’t appear to have anything else on the horizon, other than her role producing A White Lie, season three of the series should be on the way soon, news that is likely to make fans very happy.