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Sharon Stone said that HBO’s controversial show “Euphoria” should be shown in America’s high schools and that parents “should have to see it.”
During a conversation with Keke Palmer for Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series, the 68-year-old actress, who joined the cast of “Euphoria” for its recently concluded third and final season, heaped praise on the show, which has drawn criticism for its graphic depictions of sex, drug use and violence.
“I think it’s the greatest show on television,” the “Basic Instinct” star said.
“Euphoria,” which premiered in 2019, centered on a group of high school students confronting the challenges of adolescence, but by the third season, the story jumped forward several years and follows them as young adults.
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Stone noted the “Euphoria’s” audience has watched the characters grow up and confront the increasingly serious consequences of their actions. She explained that she related to the show’s portrayals of addiction and drug culture due to her own family experience.
“We’ve met these kids,” Stone said. “We’ve seen them turn into young adults. We’ve seen them turn into full-on drug dealers. And I’ve gone through it in my family.”
Stone recalled her brother Michael Stone’s involvement with the drug trade, which led to his incarceration at the maximum security prison Attica Correctional Facility in New York.
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The Oscar nominee shared that she cried after watching the first episode of “Euphoria,” saying that she believes it is an honest reflection of real issues that high school students face.
“‘Euphoria’ is so relevant,” she said. “I believe it should be shown in every high school, and I think all the parents should have to see it. As a mom, I love it.”
“Well, what I love is it gives you the opportunity to have conversations,” Palmer, 32, said. “I think sometimes people stop at the surface of ‘No, it’s too much sex. It’s too much sex, it’s too much sex.’ That’s the point.”
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As a mother of three, Stone said the show shines a light on issues many parents would rather not acknowledge.
“‘My kid wouldn’t do that.’ It’s like, really? Do you know? And does your kid tell you who is like that that’s next to them?” she asked. “Because it’s who’s next to you too that matters.”
Though Stone argued that “Euphoria” should be viewed by students and parents alike, the show’s creator Sam Levinson and stars have repeatedly cautioned that the series, which is rated TV-MA, should not be watched by younger audiences due to explicit themes and graphic content.
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When the first season aired in 2019, Levinson, 41, and Zendaya, 29, who starred as a Rue Bennett, disputed that the show was intended to be viewed by younger teens.
“I hope it creates a certain dialogue between parents and their kids,” Levinson told IndieWire. “I don’t think this is a show for people under 17, but…”
“But if your parent wants to have a conversation about it, that’s good,” Zendaya added.
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“Or if you’re going to watch it anyway, and you have a feeling your kid is going to watch it anyway, then it might be good to have a conversation with them,” Levinson said.
During a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Zendaya also addressed concerns around younger audiences watching the show.
“I think the important thing to acknowledge is the show is about teenagers and not necessary for teenagers, which I think people can misinterpret,” she said.
“It’s very important to us that the only teenagers watching it are 18 and older, with parental guidance if you’re any younger than that,” Zendaya added. “That’s important to all of us, because this show is hard to watch sometimes.”
However, Zendaya told the outlet that the content depicted in “Euphoria” was “not really” shocking to her.
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“”I think it’s only shocking if it’s not your experience,” she said. “Just because it didn’t happen to you doesn’t mean it’s not happening every day, all the time, it’s just certain people will be able to understand it a little bit more than others. Someone’s going to connect to it and whoever needs to see it, will see it.”
Ahead of the second season premiere, Zendaya, who won two Emmy Awards for her performance as Rue, took to social media to reiterate that “Euphoria” is for “mature audiences.”
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“This season, maybe even more so than the last, is deeply emotional and deals with subject matter that can be triggering and difficult to watch,” she told her fans in an Instagram post.
“Please only watch it if you feel comfortable,” she said. “Take care of yourself and know that either way you are still loved and I can still feel your support.”
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