Jacob Elordi has spoken out about his character Nate Jacobs' 'gruesome' death in the latest episode of Euphoria, describing it as a 'cool way to go'. The Australian actor, who has portrayed Nate since the show's debut in 2019, was killed off in the second-to-last episode of the third season.
In the episode titled 'Rain or Shine', Nate is buried alive with a pipe for air, but a gangster to whom he owes money sends a venomous rattlesnake down the pipe to bite him fatally. Elordi, 28, said in an HBO behind-the-scenes video: 'It was a cool way to go, Nate is somebody who’s made so many mistakes and so many dark choices, it’s cool to see it all come to what it’s come to.'
Elordi described filming the scene, saying he had to lie in a coffin with his shoulders touching the sides, unable to move his arms, as the lid was drilled shut. Creator Sam Levinson credited Elordi for wanting to use a real snake. Elordi added: 'The snakes were rattling, which was really alarming when you’re locked in a box.'
Levinson explained his decision to kill off Nate in such a 'horrific' manner, telling Esquire: 'There's this kind of funny thing where I know what the audience wants in terms of justice or karma... How can I give them what they want, but make it so horrific and anxiety-inducing that by the time it happens, the audience isn't so sure they wanted it?'
The third season, set five years after the second, has faced criticism from viewers who described it as 'torture p*rn', particularly scenes involving Sydney Sweeney's character launching an OnlyFans account. Levinson defended the scenes to The Hollywood Reporter, saying they aimed to show the reality of such content.
Reflecting on his exit, Elordi said: 'It’s a bittersweet thing. This show is a massive part of not just my career, but my life. It’s been amazing, and I’m so proud being a part of this.'
