Singer, songwriter, and actor Dominic Fike — known for playing Elliot on Euphoria — has opened up in a rare, wide-ranging interview covering everything from filming the HBO hit to sobriety, dating, and his chaotic entry into acting.
Appearing on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Fike confirmed he’ll return for Euphoria‘s third (and final) season, alongside ex-girlfriend and co-star Hunter Schafer.
“I actually just did some of it,” he told Shepard. “Yeah, they’re filming it. I was just talking to Hunter. She’s filming it.”
On-Screen Exes, Off-Screen Drama
Fike and Schafer met while filming Euphoria and dated in real life. Since their split, Schafer confirmed in a 2024 interview that she was still healing and briefly dated Spanish pop star Rosalía — who, coincidentally, also joins the Euphoria cast in Season 3. Yes, Schafer and two of her real-life exes are appearing on screen together.
Meanwhile, Fike says he’s currently single, and reflected on how he never intended to pursue acting in the first place.
“I never considered acting at all. I actually didn’t want anything to do with acting,” he explained. “I was doing a Triple J performance called Like A Version, where you have to perform another artist’s song. I wore a wig, and I was like, ‘I’m a girl…’ I was also just high as fuck.”
The video — where he covers Clairo’s “Bags” in a blonde wig — went viral. One of Euphoria‘s casting directors saw it and reached out.
The Audition That (Almost) Killed His Career
Fike recalled turning up to his first Euphoria audition “beyond fucked up.”
“I had stayed up all night with this girl, drinking whiskey, taking shrooms,” he said. “I’m just laughing at Sam [Levinson], and everyone’s laughing at me. I’m like, ‘What is this script?’ I’m throwing shit around.”
His agents told him he’d “never work in Hollywood again.” But a year later, showrunner Sam Levinson reconnected with him — and rewrote Elliot’s character based on Fike himself.
“He wrote it with the qualities of the guy he saw show up,” Fike said.
Levinson offered him a five-year contract — but with a warning: “I need to know that you’re not going to fuck me on this.”
Fike replied,
“Brother, I got you,” despite still not grasping the scale of the show at the time.
That Song Scene – And the Backlash
Shepard and co-host Monica Padman gushed over Fike’s season 2 moment where Elliot performs Elliot’s Song for Rue (Zendaya). But Fike said not everyone was a fan.
“People hated that scene!” he laughed. “The whole internet just blew up about me doing that.”
“People were like, ‘Why is this guy singing? I’m trying to see the rest of the characters’ arcs.’”
For the record, Labrinth wrote the song.
“Sam had asked me to write something — but then Labrinth sends me this song and it’s gorgeous. I was like, ‘I’ll sing that!’”
On Sobriety, Reflection & Set Behaviour
Fike shared that while he’s sober now, his early days on Euphoria were clouded by substance use.
“I would kind of be better about going on camera super fucked-up,” he admitted. “I would space it out. My weed would be like 50 minutes. I’d put eye drops in.”
“People think I was out there talking to Zendaya and Hunter fucked-up all the time — but I was in my trailer!”
He says now that all the money and success couldn’t fix what needed healing:
“All this money, this is a temporary fix for something that I need to actually go and heal.”
Spider-Men & Meme Magic
Fike also revealed a surreal celebrity moment:
“One night, I’m with Tom Holland for some reason, and Tobey Maguire is there. It’s just me, Tobey, and Tom.”
He asked them to do the Spider-Man pointing meme — and they did.
“And they both did the Spider-Man meme! It was awesome.”
Zendaya, Insecurity, and Regret
When asked about Zendaya, Fike didn’t hide his nerves.
“Zendaya’s great. She’s very much Michael Jordan.”
When Shepard asked if he ever felt insecure around her, Fike admitted:
“I already know any mention of [Zendaya’s] name… I knew who I was on that set. And I think that kind of affected the way people felt about me too.”
Still, despite the ups and downs, Fike says he would love to act more — if the schedule allows.
