‘Euphoria’ Star Colman Domingo Explains Why His Role on HBO Series Is ‘Tricky’ (Exclusive)

Euphoria just wrapped up Season 2 and is gearing up for Season 3 following its renewal announcement. The HBO series has its share of interesting characters, including Ali who is played by veteran actor Colman Domingo. PopCulture.com recently caught up with Domingo who explained his role in Euphoria, which also stars Zendaya. 

“My role is to be a very tricky moral compass,” Domingo exclusively told PopCulture. “Ali is also, I think from his experience, is an unreliable narrator because he’s living with a disease of addiction just like Rue [Zendaya] is. So I think that’s the way you have to play it. You have to play that this person is still in recovery and really trying. And really trying to do the 12 steps every single day. And understand and unpacking what that is. So it feels like a… It’s a beautiful responsibility. I say it’s a beautiful responsibility because I know the effect that my character Ali has had on people watching television.”

Domingo also revealed that the feedback from fans has been very positive when it comes to Ali. “I know that he’s had an effect on audiences,” he said. “And I’ve gotten so much love and beauty and joy from people’s responses, whether it’s on social media or slide into my DMS, you name it. The response has been extraordinary. And so I just feel very grateful that there’s a role like that for me to portray. And it’s bringing some healing to people and some understanding.”

When Season 2 premiered, earlier this year, it was the most viewed episode of an HBO series event on HBO Max with 14 million viewers. That is double the average audience of Season 1 with 6.6 million viewers per episode. The Season 2 premiere episode was the No. 1 most social premium cable episode since the Game of Thrones finale in May 2019.

But what makes Euphoria a very successful show? “I think Euphoria has tapped into the zeitgeist in a way that is unnerving because it’s so honest and raw and its portrayal of everyone’s addiction to something,” Domingo explained. “I think what Sam Levinson is trying to say is examine the disease of addiction and it’s just not limited to drugs and alcohol or sex, but it could be to approval. It would be to Twitter. It could be to all these forces outside of yourself that are helping to make you spin in some. …We’re all ingesting something in our culture right now, and for us to reexamine it, to take a step back and examine it.”