Barbie Ferreira, who portrayed Kat Hernandez in the first two seasons of the Emmy-winning series Euphoria, is sharing some of the things that inspired her role.
The actress discussed her upcoming role opposite Shailene Woodley and Zachary Quinto in the Broadway production of Cult of Love in an interview with People magazine.
Following the announcement that she will not be returning for season three, Ferreira reflected on her time on the show during their talk. She mentioned that she was able to include her personal experiences into the part because she joined the series when she was young.
“I was 21. I brought a lot of my vulnerability and my own exploration of my own sexuality,” she told the publication. “And it wasn’t too long before that I was in high school, so … it was very raw and real. I got to bring a lot of my own experiences to it. I’m really happy that it read.”
The model imagines where Kat, who is still very significant to her, might be now even though she doesn’t play the part again.
“Well, I’m 27, so that means she would be 22, so probably in college. Yeah, in college, living it up. Probably less, I would hope, less restless,” Ferreira said. “Kat means a lot to me.”
Reflecting on how she got the role in the HBO series that Sam Levinson created, she said it was “such a wonderful experience. It was my first acting job, really, a substantial acting role. I had little guest spots before. And it was really where I learned how to be the actor that I am, and it’s the start of this whole thing. It just was so wonderful to have a character that is so dynamic and meant so much to so many people. And I really hold that dear to my heart. And I hope I did it justice.”
After allegedly arguing with Levinson while filming season two, Ferreira declared her departure from Euphoria in August 2022.
She talked extensively about her resignation on an episode of Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard in April 2023, stating that she and the creator decided to go together.
“I don’t think there was a place for her to go,” the actress explained at the time. “I mean, I think that there were places you could go. I just don’t think it would have fit into the show. I don’t know if it was gonna do her justice. And I think both parties knew that. I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend. I don’t want to play that, and I think they didn’t want that either.”
