Meet Chloe Cherry, The Scene-Stealing Star of ‘Euphoria’ as Faye Valentine

When ‘Euphoria’ made its much-anticipated return for the second season, fans were ready for the familiar chaos, chemistry, and heart-wrenching storylines that have made the HBO series a cultural phenomenon. However, no one expected the introduction of Faye, a deadpan, doe-eyed character who quickly became a scene-stealer.

Faye, who made her debut alongside Zendaya’s Rue, rapidly became one of the show’s most memorable characters. The actress portraying her, Chloe Cherry, has grown increasingly important to the series with each new installment. With Faye now taking on a larger role in ‘Euphoria’ Season 3, here’s everything you need to know about the character and the talented actress who brings her to life.

Faye is first introduced in the opening episode of Season 2 as the girlfriend of small-time dealer Custer. After Custer’s arrest, she quickly becomes part of Fezco’s circle. Faye is a recurring character in the second season and a main character in the third season of ‘Euphoria’. The name Faye Valentine pays homage to a beloved character from ‘Cowboy Bebop’.

In Season 2, Faye moves in with Fez and Ashtray after her boyfriend is incarcerated. She gradually transforms from a passive observer into a character capable of genuine loyalty. When Custer is wired to pressure Fez into confessing to Mouse’s death, Faye secretly warns Fez to remain silent, misleadingly claiming that Custer thought Laurie was responsible for Mouse’s death. This pivotal moment deepens her character, making her more complex.

By Season 3, the characters have aged significantly. The new season begins years after the second, with Faye attempting a quieter life as a housewife while Rue gets entangled with the drug cartel. The reunion between the two former roommates becomes a central part of the new season’s drug-running narrative.

Chloe Cherry, the actress who gives Faye her distinctive voice, has an unconventional journey to HBO. Born on August 23, 1997, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she grew up in what she described as a restrictive environment. In a 2022 interview with Interview Magazine, she characterized her hometown as “conservative and boring”.

Before stepping onto a Sam Levinson set, Cherry built a following in a vastly different industry. She began her adult film career in 2015 with Hussie Models and appeared in over 200 films, accumulating more than 125 million views on Pornhub by 2019.

Her social media presence, however, is what catapulted her into the broader pop culture landscape. With around two million followers on Instagram and TikTok, she was discovered for ‘Euphoria’ due to her humorous online content. In March 2022, she announced her departure from the adult industry to fully pursue mainstream acting and modeling.

The story of how Cherry landed her role is almost too fitting for a show centered around chaos. In an interview with Nylon, she revealed that Levinson found her on Instagram, drawn to her humor, which led to a casting call where she auditioned.

The role was initially envisioned quite differently. In January 2020, HBO held an open casting call for three new characters for Season 2, including one named Ami, described as a stripper grappling with addiction. Originally, Faye was intended to be a stripper with a minor role, but after casting Cherry, Levinson redefined the character, granting her significantly more screen time.

This last-minute character development has become part of ‘Euphoria’ lore among fans. Cherry shared with CinemaBlend that her character originally had only three lines in the entire season before the script was revised. Much of Faye’s personality emerged from brainstorming sessions with Levinson and extensive discussions on set, where they discovered they had much in common.

Faye’s expanded role in Season 3 comes with a heavier workload, and Cherry has openly discussed the unpredictability of Faye’s new storyline. She has been promoted to a series regular for Season 3, with the show leaning into her character’s unique, deadpan charm.

In a conversation with ScreenRant for their Debunking AI series, Cherry shared her theories about Faye’s life during her absence, suggesting that after Fez’s imprisonment, Faye likely stayed with his grandmother for a while before distancing herself from the criminal world, trying a normal job, disliking it, and eventually returning to drug trafficking alongside Rue. Cherry has also addressed fans who conflate her with Faye, humorously noting that many comments on her posts insist, “Wow, Chloe literally is Faye,” when, in reality, the two are quite different.

The new season has not been without its controversies. The first episode of ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 faced backlash over a “gratuitous” scene involving Cherry and a dog, and HBO, Levinson, and Cherry have yet to respond publicly to the criticism. Cherry has also been open about the show’s broader narratives surrounding sex work, revealing to Refinery29 that she had significant creative input regarding Faye’s wardrobe in Season 3, building on the trust established with Levinson while developing the character in Season 2.

Having endured so much already, from Custer to a tumultuous New Year’s Eve and a significant time jump, viewers have much to ponder as Faye’s story continues to unfold. Which moment from ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 featuring Faye has resonated with you the most, and where do you hope Chloe Cherry will take her character by the season’s end?