Tragic Details About Angus Cloud
This feature discusses suicide, addiction, and mental health issues.
Following its debut in 2009, HBO's hit show "Euphoria" was an instant success — rising the ranks to become the network's second-watched show behind "Game of Thrones." The angsty-teenage drama follows characters as they navigate high school complete with drug addiction, love, loss, and sexuality. It's an in-your-face cinematic rollercoaster that leaves viewers contemplating life's deeper questions, one where nothing is too taboo. Dark yet captivating, viewers were enthralled with the show, and it quickly lit up social media. "Euphoria" nearly broke the Internet, becoming the most tweeted-about show of the decade in 2022, as per Variety.
Angus Cloud played 'Fezco' on the show, the shy drug dealer with a heart of gold. His character was complex and admired for his layered personality that was tough when necessary but soft with those he loved. Cloud's acting abilities shined on the series, and it was all by happenstance. Cloud was plucked from obscurity before stardom, having been scouted for the show while working as a waiter in Brooklyn. Hollywood fame wasn't a childhood dream for the "Euphoria" star and he is the first to admit it. Cloud has admitted to doubting his acting ability and being his own worst critic, but his humility is part of the reason why he became known as the "moral backbone" of the series. From his Hollywood happenstance to his tragic death in 2023, his story is full of ups and downs. We're breaking down the tragic details about Angus Cloud.
Angus Cloud almost died in a tragic accident
Before Angus Cloud became a household name, he almost didn't survive a tragic accident. The "Your Lucky Day" actor admitted in a Variety interview that he broke his skull when he was a teenager after falling into a 10-foot-deep construction pit. Cloud was walking home alone in the dark in his hometown Oakland, California when he stumbled into the large hole, admitting he woke up 12 hours later in a fight for his life. "I was trapped. I eventually climbed out after — I don't know how long. It was hella hard to climb out, because my skull was broken, but my skin wasn't, so all the bleeding was internal, pressing up against my brain. But they wasn't gonna find me down there. I found myself. Or God found me, whatever you want to call it," he said to the outlet.
Cloud eventually dug himself out of the pit with broken fingers, took a bus home to his mother's house, and almost went to bed before she sent him to the hospital. "I would have died," he said, admitting he started throwing up blood after arriving home. Cloud admitted the harrowing incident is what gave him his infamous large scar on the top of his head. "They cut my head open, they put some screws and a plate over where I broke my skull and — sh*t, sealed me back up, and that was that." The "Euphoria" star also admitted that the accident left him with slower speech patterns that sometimes had him mixing words. "I'll scribble-scrabble two words together. Mix-match," he revealed.
Angus Cloud's former manager said the actor struggled with addiction
A man who claimed to be Angus Cloud's former manager called out the "Euphoria" star for alleged drug addiction in 2023. In a since-deleted Twitter thread detailed by PageSix, a man named Diomi Cordero claimed he started working for the actor in 2021 after the two met at a rehab facility where Cloud was a patient. He wrote that the star's affairs were in a "state of disarray," and he helped him secure health insurance, a publicist, and manage his SAG-AFTRA account.
Cordero claimed Cloud's circle of friends influenced his alleged struggles with drug addiction. "Their reckless behavior and lack of regard for Angus' recovery served as a significant obstacle to his progress," the talent manager claimed, "ultimately contributing to his relapse." He also claimed that the actor relapsed on drugs just days after checking out of rehab. "Upon entering his premises and attempting to greet him with a hug, it became immediately apparent that he had resumed substance abuse, a mere two days after completing his treatment," he tweeted.
Cordero claimed at one point, he even administered CPR on the "Your Lucky Day" actor after receiving an emergency call from Cloud's roommates following a suspected overdose. Cordero eventually resigned from his position with Cloud after he claimed the star's behavior "became extremely abusive." Per PageSix, he later wrote on Twitter that he was seeking $60,000 in management commissions and had rejected a settlement offer from the actor's new management team. Neither Cloud nor his management team spoke publicly about the claims.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Angus Cloud said acting took a toll on his mental health
Angus Cloud remained open about his struggles with mental health well after he landed his starring role in "Euphoria." In a 2019 interview with GQ, the star admitted that he was naïve about the demands of the acting world before playing "Fezco." Being on his feet constantly working as a waiter in New York City did little to prepare the star for how tiring playing a character could be. "It's a different kind of hard. I am not running around sweating, but it's that mental sh*t. You have to stay focused. You have to be on point. You can't call in sick. Acting takes a lot out of you. I'd be drained, but I was just sitting there acting," he admitted.
In a clip from an interview that resurfaced on TikTok, Cloud got candid about his offscreen life. "I just feel like, everything going on in the world, like, you're gonna go click on my page and see me smiling and happy and living my life like everything's good," he said. "Everything is not good. Everything is pretty bad. My life, personally, I'm maintaining, you know what I'm saying, but, generally, this sh** is f***ed up." Cloud also revealed that he felt like he had "imposter syndrome" around his Oscar-nominated cast mates, and struggled to see himself as a capable actor. "I'm like, 'I don't know what I am doing. Why did they bring me over here for this? They should have gotten a real actor for this job,'" he said in the same 2019 GQ interview.
Angus Cloud never wanted to be famous
For all the stardom that Angus Cloud achieved during his career, it's hard to believe the actor never wanted to be famous. After being scouted on the streets of New York City, his fast track to fame took him by surprise. At 18-years-old, he was on a red-eye flight to Los Angeles to film the "Euphoria" pilot, and the one thing he remembers is the in-flight beverages. "I got some orange juice and champagne. I was going to save the champagne for when we took off on the flight. I was like, 'I'm going to save this for lift off', you know what I'm saying? But they were like: 'You've gotta drink that before we even start moving the plane away from the gate,'" Cloud said, adding, "You ain't gotta tell me twice!"
It's because of Cloud's humility and down-to-earth personality that many considered him the fan favorite on "Euphoria." But despite his popularity, the actor admitted that he doesn't want people to see him differently do to his fame. "Yeah, I don't like being special. I don't want to be special," he told The Face in 2022. "I like being regular. I don't want people to open doors for me like I'm like a prince or some sh*t." Cloud admitted that he doesn't expect nor want special treatment due to his celebrity status. "...I don't like the famous part, to be honest with you. I don't want to be a celebrity. I don't like people recognizing me."
Angus Cloud lost his father to cancer
Angus Cloud was no stranger to family tragedy. In May 2023, the "Euphoria" star lost his father Conor to cancer. His mother Lisa took to Facebook to reveal the news, writing: "My husband left this world yesterday morning after a great visit with all the kids who flew in to see him at [the] hospital...Conor Hickey passed away this morning after a brief fight with cancer." She went on to add, "His cancer moved quickly which was devastating to all who loved him."
Cloud's family admitted to TMZ that the actor was incredibly close to his father, and struggled with the loss of his "best friend." The "Your Lucky Day" star took to Instagram after the father's passing, posting a photo of him and writing, "miss u breh." A source also revealed that the actor had moved back in with his family to cope with his father's death, and was having suicidal thoughts while grieving.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Angus Cloud died of a suspected drug overdose
Just a few months after his father death, Angus Cloud died in July 2023. At the time of writing, the official cause of death remains unknown, but Cloud's mother Lisa reported a "possible overdose," according to a report from TMZ. She made the call to 911 from her Oakland home after finding her son without a pulse, and he was later pronounced dead on the scene. Angus had just returned from a burial service in Ireland for his father a week before his own death.
"It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways," the Cloud family's statement read. "Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend." The family also mentioned that they hoped Angus's death could serve as a reminder to others dealing with mental health struggles to seek help "and should not fight this on their own in silence."
The news of Angus's shocking death triggered an outpouring of tributes from his former "Euphoria" cast mates. "Words are not enough to describe the infinite beauty that is Angus (Conor). 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," Zendaya wrote on Instagram.