You have many great projects out at the moment, but we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about Euphoria. Can you tell us what working on this last season was like?
It’s so fun being on that set because it feels like a family. Zendaya is my big sister; you can’t convince me otherwise. So to work with people who inspire you and push you is just a fantastic feeling. And Euphoria is just such a beautiful show because we are trying to bridge the disconnect between generations and trying to let the world know that … there are things that young people go through every day. And even though it’s entertainment and some situations are heightened, at its core, we’re trying to educate people. Even when I’m reading a script or watching scenes I’m not a part of, I’ll tell myself, “That is just crazy. That just would not happen, like please.” But then I have to sit and check myself because many of the situations that are depicted in the show, our director, Sam Levinson, went through. So that’s when you have to sit, reflect, and not be selfish because people do go through these things every day, and I think that’s why so many people tune into the show each week. It’s why it became a cultural phenomenon. It is so relatable.
One of the wonderful things about the show is that it does validate the experiences of younger people, and it puts a lot of the younger generation’s viewpoints about the world on display. How do you hope your acting helps combat misconceptions about younger generations?
I think there are a lot of misconceptions about Gen Z. And I can’t speak for my entire generation, but I do know that we are smart, we are brilliant, and we are trying to make a change. And yes, we do use our phones a little bit more than other generations, but that’s the world we live in. You shouldn’t discredit our ability to think about things, cultivate ideas, and cultivate joy because of it. This generation is the most culturally diverse and culturally accepting than any other generation. I can say that with confidence. So with any situation, with any circumstance—whether it’s me playing Gia Bennett or just me taking up space as a young Black woman in this world or just being a peer among other people in this generation—I think it’s about just giving us grace because, yes, we may do things differently. But I think those differences are what makes our generation so beautiful.
