Euphoria Star Alexa Demie May Quit Hollywood — Here’s Why
Before Euphoria turned Alexa Demie into a global breakout as Maddie, she slogged through years of rejection and blonde-first casting after her 2015 debut in the short Miles — until the HBO hit flipped the script.
Alexa Demie did not waltz into Euphoria as an overnight success. She was close to walking away from acting entirely before Maddie Perez showed up and changed everything.
Before Maddie: a lot of no, a little music, and one short film
Demie started acting in 2015 with the short film 'Miles'. After that? A wall of rejections. She told A24 that the lead roles she went out for tended to land with the same type over and over. Meanwhile, she was making music on the side and seriously thinking about ditching acting altogether.
"I wasn't booking anything ever. Ever. It was really hard, especially because I feel like a lot of the lead roles I would go out for would go to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl."
Euphoria flips the script
Then she read Euphoria. The Maddie Perez on the page clicked for her immediately, enough to pull her back from the brink of quitting. But even that wasn't simple. Some people involved didn't think she "looked" like their idea of Maddie. So Demie doubled down in the room and proved she was the one. Looking back, it's hard to picture anyone else in that role. The global recognition that followed pretty much speaks for itself.
So, is she back for Season 3?
Yes. Demie is returning as a series regular in Season 3, and filming wrapped this month. While a bunch of her costars have been everywhere lately, Demie has stayed relatively low-key and picky with what she takes on, which makes her Maddie comeback a nice win for fans. Sydney Sweeney called the wrap bittersweet in Variety, saying the show has basically defined her twenties — she was 20 when she shot the pilot — and that going back to the same crew felt comforting even as they were saying goodbye.
- First on-camera role: 2015 short 'Miles'
- Hit a stretch of rejections; also released music; nearly quit acting
- Landed Maddie on Euphoria after pushing past "doesn't look the part" feedback
- Back as a series regular in Season 3; production wrapped this month
- Sydney Sweeney called the wrap bittersweet; she was 20 on the pilot, and the show spanned her twenties
- Euphoria: 2019–present, IMDb 8.2; Rotten Tomatoes 87% critics / 84% audience
Season 3 is expected to be the final run for HBO's hit, so the big question is where Maddie lands when the dust settles — and what Demie does next once she closes this chapter.
Streaming: Euphoria on HBO Max (USA).