Zendaya pays tribute to Euphoria co-star Angus Cloud

The actress, who stars as recovering addict Ruby "Rue" Bennett in the HBO series, shared a black and white image of Cloud on Instagram, celebrating his "boundless light, love and joy".

Cloud played drug dealer Fezco "Fez" O'Neill in the teen drama.

Rappers Drake - an executive producer on it - and Kid Cudi also paid homage.

Cloud died on Monday at his family home in Oakland, California, a publicist confirmed. "It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today," said the Cloud family.

Posting on Instagram, Zendaya wrote: "I'm so grateful I got the chance to know him in this life, to call him a brother, to see his warm kind eyes and bright smile, or hear his infectious cackle of a laugh (I'm smiling now just thinking of it).

"I know people use this expression often when talking about folks they love...'they could light up any room they entered' but boy let me tell you, he was the best at it. I'd like to remember him that way.

"For all of the boundless light, love and joy he always managed to give us. I'll cherish every moment."

Drake shared an image of Cloud simply captioned "Good Soul", while Kid Cudi posted on X (formerly known as Twitter): "This hurts man. One of the realest dudes in this business."

Cloud attended his father's funeral in Ireland last week and, according to his family, "intensely struggled with this loss".

There was some comfort in knowing he was now "reunited with his dad, who was his best friend", they said in a statement.

"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," it said.

"We hope the world remembers him for his humour, laughter and love for everyone."

His cause of death has not been given.

The actor was one of the breakout stars of Euphoria, appearing in both series alongside Zendaya, Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney.

Sweeney, who played Cassie Howard, also paid tribute on Tuesday, calling Cloud as "an open soul, with the kindest heart" who "filled every room with laughter".

"You will be missed more than you know, but I'm so blessed to have known you in this lifetime, and I'm sure everyone who has ever met you feels the same," she wrote in an emotional tribute online.

In a statement, HBO said: "We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family."

Euphoria creator Sam Levinson said: "There was no one quite like Angus. He was too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon."

Sydney Martin, the model who was rumoured to be in an on-off relationship with Cloud, shared broken heart emojis on Instagram after his death was announced.

Cloud's co-star Javon "Wanna" Walton, known in the show as Cloud's adoptive brother, Ashtray, wrote on Instagram: "Rest easy brother."

Alexa Demie, who plays Maddy Perez in the drama, posted a simple broken heart emoji on a black background, while Colman Domingo, who plays Ali Muhammad, wrote on his Instagram story: "Couldn't be more real, original and sweet. Loved this kid. Always smiles. I hope this sensitive soul is at rest. check on loved ones. Check on them."

California congresswoman Barbara Lee lamented the loss of "Oakland's own", in a post on X.

"His immense talent touched the lives of countless people. His work & legacy will forever live on and make Oakland proud," she wrote.

Actress Kerry Washington also posted on the platform: "You will be deeply missed. Rest in power."

Actor Danny Ramirez also paid tribute on his Instagram story.

The Oakland Roots sports club said they were "heartbroken" by the news.

"Rest easy fam. He was a day one supporter and an Oakland legend. You will be missed."

Cloud had minor acting credits in two films, North Hollywood and The Line. He had also appeared in music videos for artists including Becky G, Karol G and Juice WRLD.

But his career really took off after he won the part of Fez, a high school drug dealer in Euphoria.

After first airing in June 2019, Euphoria quickly became a hit, and by 2022 - two seasons in - was the most tweeted-about TV show of the decade in the US.

The main character, played by Zendaya, is a 17-year-old who struggles with drug abuse.

-bbc