Sam Levinson Says He Tried Several Times To Help Angus Cloud Get Sober

Cloud, who died back in July, was revealed to have accidentally overdosed on from a lethal mix of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and benzodiazepines.

The 25-year-old actor had already been suffering from addiction problems and this was only worsened by his father’s passing which sent?Angus?Cloud?heavily into depression, making him rely more on anti-depressants.

In a new interview, the creator of the drama series opened up about?Cloud’s struggles with addiction during production and his own struggles to?help?the actor?get?clean and?sober. Those efforts included multiple interventions and rehab stints.

Levinson, who had said that?he?began to see that something was off with the actor, told 'People' magazine, “I looked him in the eye and I knew that?he?wasn’t doing well,”?Levinson?said.

“At the same time I’ve been in these situations before where you’re trying to?get?someone clean. And I just said to him, ‘I love working with you and we’ve got this amazing season planned and stuff, but I need you to be?sober?because I got to be able to rely on you.'”

The actor entered a 30 day in-patient rehab which was followed by three months of outpatient treatment. HBO footed the rehab bill.?He?came back to the show and went to rehab again when they were five episodes into the season.

That stint was also courtesy of an intervention by?Levinson?who?says?he?told the actor, “You’ve got to?get?help?and you’ve got to?get?help?right now.”

As soon as the episode wrapped,?Levinson?and his wife drove?Cloud?to treatment. “I could always feel that?he?didn’t want sobriety as much as we all wanted it for him. That’s where it gets tricky because the whole world can want it for you.?But?he?didn’t want it. It’s just the self-destructive side of addiction and it outweighs everything. But you can’t give up on people. I wasn’t going to let anyone give up on him".

That included keeping him on the show, even after his character was supposed to have died.

“Angus?was supposed to die at the end of the first season, but I loved him so f***** much,”?Levinson?said. "The first thing I noticed about him was?he?had those Paul Newman eyes ... and his audition tape where?he?said that his name was?Angus?Cloud?and?he’s ‘five foot 12.’ It killed me".

“He?was perfect. I think part of the problem is I would sometimes put actors ahead of the show at?times. So I was like, ‘Okay, I can’t kill him because then what is?he?to look forward to?'",?he?added.

Once Season 2 wrapped,?Levinson?and?Cloud?had a long talk, and the Euphoria creator told the actor?he?wouldn’t be allowed on set if?he?wasn’t?sober.

“No, no, I’m good. I’m good,”?Levinson?said?Cloud?told him. But?Levinson?knew different. “I could tell, at that time, it was like?he?wasn’t interested.?He?wasn’t going to do anything, and yeah,?he?didn’t want it.”

After the actor’s passing,?Levinson?had said in a statement: “There was no one quite like?Angus.?He?was too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon.?He?also struggled, like many of us, with addiction and depression. I hope?he?knew how many hearts?he?touched. I loved him. I always will. Rest in peace and God Bless his family.”