HBO drama series Euphoria delivered one of its most disturbing moments yet during season three’s penultimate episode, with star Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Saltburn) opening up about filming the intense sequence behind the scenes. According to Entertainment Weekly, Elordi revealed that HBO used a real snake while filming Nate Jacobs’ shocking death scene in episode seven, titled “Rain or Shine.”
The episode follows Nate after he is buried alive inside a coffin before ultimately being bitten by a rattlesnake moments before Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus, The Housemaid, Anyone But You), and Maddy, played by Alexa Demie (Waves, Mid90s, Mainstream), arrive to rescue him. The scene marked the apparent end of Nate Jacobs, a controversial character Elordi has portrayed since the HBO series premiered in 2019.
In a behind-the-scenes featurette released after the episode, Elordi described filming the claustrophobic coffin sequence with a real snake, explaining that the production team used a boa constrictor fitted with a fake rattlesnake tail. Despite the frightening setup, the actor surprisingly described the experience as “peaceful” and joked that the snake was “really cuddly” while filming.
Series creator Sam Levinson (The Idol, Deep Water, Assassination Nation) also praised Elordi for agreeing to film the scene with the live reptile. Elordi admitted that hearing the snake rattle while trapped inside the coffin was “really alarming,” though he clarified that the snake was non-venomous and posed no actual danger during filming.
Elordi additionally reflected on saying goodbye to Nate Jacobs after portraying the character for several years. The actor described the death scene as a fitting conclusion for Nate, whose storyline throughout Euphoria has centered around manipulation, violence, and self-destruction.
Created by Levinson, Euphoria stars Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Challengers, The Greatest Showman) as Rue Bennett alongside an ensemble cast including Sweeney, Demie, Elordi, Hunter Schafer (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Mother Mary, Cockoo), and Colman Domingo (Lincoln, Selma, The Four Seasons).
The season three finale of Euphoria is scheduled to air on May 31 on HBO and HBO Max.