Actress and comedian Nika King has been keeping busy on the stand-up comedy circuit during the hiatus of the popular series “Euphoria.”
“Euphoria” is the second most-watched show in the cable channel’s history. The series revolves around the tumultuous life of 17-year-old Rue, a drug addict fresh from rehab with no intentions of maintaining sobriety, as well as her circle of friends.
For two seasons, King has played Leslie Bennett, a widow and mother of Rue, the character portrayed by Zendaya Coleman, who also executive produces the show. After losing her husband, Bennett struggled with her oldest daughter’s addiction in addition to raising Rue’s younger sister Gia, played by Storm Reid.
Posted on Sunday, March 3, a TikTok video showcasing King’s comedic talent humorously poked fun at how slow work has been for her, saying she has not worked since the end of the last season of the show in 2022.
She joked, “Season 3 is coming out. I don’t f—king know. Don’t ask me I don’t know. I know, it’s one of those things.”
“People are like, ‘Well we need season 3.’ I’m like, ‘B—ch, I need season 3. I haven’t paid my rent in six months and Zendaya is over in Paris at Fashion Week.’ I’m like, ‘B—ch, come home!’ I need you. Mama needs you,” she continued.
King ended the joke by saying, “Y’all laughing and I’m serious. I haven’t booked nothing since ‘Euphoria.’ This is some bulls—t. I thought my career was on the rise after ‘Euphoria.’ I thought I was good. It don’t work that way. I called Taraji [Henson]. She was like, ‘B—ch, get used to it.’”
The comic seems to have been joking, though King told the crowd, “Y’all laughing I’m serious.”
Since booking her role as Bennett, she has booked a few other projects, including “65” on Netflix, “The Rebel Girls,” which arrives this month and “Possum Trot,” which is expected to release this summer, according to IMBD.
Her acting resume includes starring in episodes of OWN’s “Greenleaf,” as Josephine Baker in “Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History,” and “NCIS,” “iCarly,” “Hannah Montana,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Funny Married Stuff,” and more. King is also the co-owner of Blue Tree Cafe, a Vegan Soul Food catering spot in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Zendaya may have attended Paris Fashion Week in January, but she is currently busy promoting her new film “Dune: Part Two.”
While King has booked a few gigs, after the last season of “Euphoria,” and the SAG-AFTRA strike, there has been drama circulating the show.
In 2023, according to the Alameda County Coroner, actor Angus Cloud, who played the character Fezco on the hit HBO series, died of acute intoxication following an accidental overdose.
The 25-year-old had a cocktail of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and benzodiazepines in his system when he died.
His family shared a statement noting that his father had recently transitioned before he did.
“The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend,” the family said. “Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence. We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter, and love for everyone.”
In the series, Cloud pays a school dropout and local drug dealer for Rue and others. Producers will reportedly find a way to tie up his storyline in the next season. However, with the cliffhanger of his character being hauled out to jail in handcuffs, it might just be easy to write him off by referencing his incarceration.
Another actor from the show will not be returning to the cast. Barbie Ferreira left the show after bumping heads with the show creator Sam Livingston about the direction of her character Kat Hernandez.
“So, for me, when people ask me about season 2, it’s usually they come at me with, like, I was some sort of victim to season 2 and I’m always like, ‘No, it’s OK, promise. It’s good,’” Ferreira said on the “Armchair Expert” podcast. “I kind of got sucked into this drama that I never asked to be in and that I’ve never talked about.”
Barbie Ferreira revealed she will not be returning as Kat Hernandez for the third season of #Euphoria: "I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into he character she is today" pic.twitter.com/chBwFz2tKX
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) August 25, 2022
She also addressed rumors that she left the set in a fuss during the filming of the season.
“I actually did not walk off set. I did sprain my ankle once and had to go get an X-ray. Maybe that’s what they mean?” she said before saying that ultimately it was a “mutual decision” for her to leave the show.
“I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend, you know? I don’t want to play that and I think they didn’t want that either.”
Another popular character who left “Euphoria” without the public getting a reason was actor Algee Smith. However, later it was revealed that he too had an issue with Livingston. He didn’t talk to the actor about the direction of his character McKay. He was just as shocked as the rest of the world when his role was written out of the series.
algee smith saying sam never tried to talk w him about mckay's storyline and simply decided to cut him off the season 🧐 pic.twitter.com/MK2sQLanoO
— yhas (@dayabennetts) January 31, 2022
