Alexa Demie Admitted that ‘Euphoria’s’ Nudity Was a ‘Challenge’
There’s no shortage of talented actors on Euphoria. After all, the show’s lead, Zendaya recently took home her second Emmy for her performance on the show. But Zendaya isn’t the only actor who fans love to watch. Alexa Demie frequently steals scenes with her undeniable charm in her portrayal of 18-year-old Maddy Perez. Demie hasn’t made it a secret how much she loves working on the hit HBO show. However, the show’s nudity and intense subject matter have definitely challenged the actor.
‘Euphoria’ features intense subject matter and frequent nudity
Though Euphoria centers around a group of high school students, there are plenty of adult themes in the show. Drug addiction, alcohol abuse, assault, and more are major themes of the show. The show also features a tremendous amount of nudity. So much much so that the show’s creator, Sam Levinson, has been accused of being gratuitous with the nudity. And because of the nature of her character, Demie has been required to perform nude.
Alexa Demie explains that it was a challenge for her to do nude scenes
Demie’s character, Maddy, seems very comfortable with showing off her body. Fans of Euphoria will recall that the teen often shows off a lot of skin. However, Demie herself prefers to stay pretty covered up. While speaking with W Magazine, the Mid90s actor shared that being scantily clad, or nude, was a personal challenge for her.
“Even with the nudity—I don’t know if you’ve seen my Instagram, but it’s mostly portrait shots,” Demie explained. “I don’t post bikini pictures. I’m just not that way. I don’t judge anyone that is—sometimes I wish I was more free in that way—but it was a challenge.”
Demie is pretty different from her ‘Euphoria’ character, Maddy Perez
Of course, the nudity that Euphoria requires from Demie isn’t the only thing that challenged her. Her character’s arc and persona also pushed Demie as an actor. “Maddy pulls me out of my comfort zone,” Demie explained. “Even the way I dress, I don’t really wear skirts—I’m more tomboy. She wears whatever the hell she wants, and I love that. I got to explore this other side. But with all the sex and volatile relationships, that’s so not me, and that was one of the hardest parts, to be vulnerable in that way.”
It makes sense that Demie felt vulnerable at times while portraying Maddy. Fortunately, she has been able to lean on her Euphoria castmates for support. In fact, she champions the bond that she has developed with her fellow actors. “It could go wrong with a young cast, with competitiveness and jealousy, and there’s not an ounce of that,” she shared. “A lot of the stuff we shot was really hard, but it became easier because of that support system.”
