The schedule for one the most in-demand up-and-comers in Hollywood has caused him to drop out of a much-buzzed-about role. Waves and Monster star Kelvin Harrison Jr. was initially primed for a role in Euphoria season 2 but is said to no longer appear. Entertainment Weekly first reported the news, attributing scheduling conflicts.
News first surfaced of Harrison’s rumored involvement before he confirmed that he would be on the show. It was stated that his involvement in the series was contingent upon the schedule of Zendaya, which would determine when Euphoria would start back filming. The show was in early production before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutdowns.
Harrison, a recent guest on Shadow and Act’s Opening Act podcast, also talked to us last year about joining the show when he was doing press for The High Note.
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He said at the time, “I really love the world. I love the way Sam Levinson [Euphoria‘s creator and showrunner] articulates the experiences of young people and mental health, and how he embraces individuality. I just love the dialogue around the show, [and as] a person of color that happens to be African American, and to enter the space alongside Zendaya and Hunter Schaffer, and Barbie [Ferreria] and Alexa [Demie], etc. really excites me. And to be a male, a Black man as well, it’s exciting to me. [Seeing] how we can explore some of these same ideas and concepts and how we fit into this, into that world, has been exciting.”
“I know Algee [Smith] is on the show and I’m just [excited] to that narrative,” he continued. “So, it’s been really wonderful. Sam is a great collaborator and we’ve had a lot of beautiful conversations about what we want to do with the character and what we see and how we feel. And he’s just very playful and it feels proper. [This is what] proper art is supposed to be like when you’re in this phase of it. And the pandemic has only given us more time to really sink our teeth into it, to make sure that it’s actually provocative.”
