Thanks to her performance in season two of Euphoria, we're learning a lot about Maude Apatow this year.
Those who keep up with HBO Max's critically-acclaimed series probably know her best as Lexi Howard, the childhood best friend of Zendaya's Rue who led some of Euphoria's main storylines in recent weeks. One involved a super meta school play at East Highland, which Lexi wrote, directed, starred in, and was generally very passionate about creating.
Thankfully, it sounds like the play — and drama surrounding its production — was a purely fictional Euphoria plot point. But some of Maude's real-life experiences did inspire Lexi's dedication to the theater. in theater Lexi's dedication to the theater was actually a facet of her character that Euphoria's showrunner, Sam Levinson, based partly on Maude's real-life interests. t turns out,
During a recent appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Maude recalled how behind-the-scenes conversations with Euphoria's showrunner, Sam Levinson, helped construct that facet her character. "It's loosely based on me as a theater child," said Maude.
"I started when I was really young," she continued — and, yes, the photo below is in fact of Maude on stage back in the day — before sharing an anecdote that shows just how committed she's always been to her craft.
Maybe a little too committed, as her former pediatric dentist might attest. "I remember I always, like, really went for it," she told Seth Meyers.
"So, my first...I did a Gold Rush day," Maude shared, referencing an early instance where she fully stepped into a role.
"And I wanted to look like a miner..."
"So, I ripped out my tooth."
"It was not a loose tooth at all," she noted. "It was not ready to go. I just ripped it out."
"I think I was 9. But I was dedicated!"
If you'd like to hear Maude recount her father Judd Apatow's reaction to his fourth-grader's preliminary foray into method acting, check out her late night appearance here, or in the clip above.
