Euphoria's Jacob Elordi Confirms What We Suspected About Zendaya's On-Set Behavior

Jacob Elordi ("The Kissing Booth") stars opposite Zendaya ("Spider-Man: No Way Home") in the HBO Max drama "Euphoria." The series centers around Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a self-professed addict, and her group of friends who live in the fictional town of East Highland. Created and written by Sam Levinson ("Assassination Nation"), the 2nd season of "Euphoria" follows Rue's troubled relationship with Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) and her struggle to remain sober.

In "Euphoria," Elordi plays Nate Jacobs, a golden boy with a dark side. Nate's determination to keep his father's extramarital affairs a secret is only one of the motivating factors behind his violent outbursts and misogynistic behavior. Nate targets everyone close to Rue, putting the two at constant odds. Rue threatens to expose him and sets in motion a brutal confrontation between Nate and Rue's dealer and friend, the surprisingly sympathetic Fezco (Angus Cloud).

"Euphoria" earned six Emmy nominations in 2020 and gave Zendaya her first win for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, making her the youngest actress to ever win in the category. The series holds an 87% approval rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes. In February, Variety reported "Euphoria" would return for Season 3. In addition to starring in the critically-acclaimed series, Zendaya also serves as an executive producer. So what is the Hollywood A-lister like on set? Her on-screen nemesis Elordi gave some insight into what it's like to work with Zendaya.

In a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair, Elordi had nothing but praise for Zendaya. "She's a power unto herself and so talented, such a sweetheart." Elordi is a heartthrob in his own right, thanks to his star-making turn in Netflix's "Kissing Booth" franchise, so romance rumors were bound to fly. According to E! News, Zendaya and Elordi vacationed together in Greece in 2019, chronicling some of their adventures on social media. Still, the actor told GQ Australia that his relationship with the actress is strictly platonic.

While Elordi's "Euphoria" character is no fan of Rue's, the actor has the utmost respect for the onetime Disney darling who plays just one of Nate's many female victims. "Zendaya is an amazing creative, you know? She's super dope to work with. She's an incredible artist and a very caring person to all of us," he told GQ.

While Nate is trying to make amends with Jules of late, his character doesn't seem likely to suddenly turn into a good guy, so future clashes with Rue are inevitable. While the "Euphoria" Season 2 finale airs on February 27, fans will be able to catch Elordi in the upcoming Adrian Lyne film, "Deep Water" (via Deadline). Levinson co-wrote the script, which he adapted from the Patricia Highsmith novel.