Euphoria fans now know which season three scene the late Eric Dane joked about in an interview before his death.
Before the actor died on Feb. 19 following his battle with ALS, he sat down with the nonprofit I AM ALS and opened up about filming a wedding scene in the Sam Levinson-created show’s new season. However, fans had little context for the sequence in question until episode three, titled “The Ballad of Paladin,” aired Sunday.
The episode centers on Nate’s (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) wedding, which sees Nate’s parents, Cal (Dane) and Marsha (Paula Marshall), in attendance. During the reception, Cal, appearing in a drunken state, gives a rambling wedding speech. Cal also reconciles with his past and apologizes to Jules (Hunter Schafer) for filming her while underage as well as shares that he’s now a registered sex offender following a past arrest.
“I had a wedding sequence I had to shoot, the reception. And it’s written that I’m wasted, sloshed, drunk for this entire reception. And I was like, people are going to think I’m brilliant,” Dane previously quipped to I AM ALS. He added with a laugh, “Because I already sound like I’m drunk. I don’t need to act.”
ALS is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic. It leads to muscle weakness, with slurred speech being a common symptom.
Following Dane’s death, Levinson shared in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, “I’m heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric. Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift. Eric’s family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing.”
The official Instagram accounts for Euphoria and HBO Max also wrote in a joint post at the time, “We are deeply saddened by the news of Eric Dane’s passing. He was incredibly talented and HBO was fortunate to have worked with him on three seasons of Euphoria. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
