‘Euphoria’ star Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje reveals surprising method-acting detail after Alamo role took over his life
‘Euphoria’ Season 3 concluded on May 31, and fans are still not over the startling finale. While viewers have been deeply invested in the storyline and characters of the HBO show, cast members playing iconic characters have also been extremely dedicated to their roles. One of the lead characters, Alamo Brown, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, in his recent exclusive interview with PEOPLE, opened up about how the role took over him. Despite being a British individual, because of his dedication to the role, “Most of the crew actually thought I was from the South. They really did not know I was British. There were a few people that knew just from past work, but a lot of people did not know.”
The renowned actor has played many popular roles in shows, including ‘Oz’ and ‘Lost.’ His recent role in ‘Euphoria’ was associated with a major plot arc. His character was directly involved in killing Rue Bennett (Zendaya). To get into his role, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje used method acting techniques. While doing that, he continued speaking in his role’s accent and also asked fellow cast and crew members to refer to him as “Alamo” while on set. “From the get-go, when I landed in Los-Angeles, I didn’t have much prep time. In fact, very little. So I had asked…everybody just to call me Alamo Brown,” he recalled. The actor added, “I didn’t need anybody to know Adewale, just Alamo Brown. And they all embraced it.” He reflected on how females on set referred to him as “Al” while male crew called him “Mo.” By doing so, “They really took it on as a character, as a person. It just helped me access him and immerse myself.”
Surprisingly, ‘Euphoria’ star revealed that the first time show creator Sam Levinson called him by his real name was during the show’s red carpet premiere event. He added that it was “kind of weird.” He further mentioned that Sam had been calling him Alamo, “Even when I’d text him, I’d sign ‘Alamo.’ It was all about the character.” Sharing more about the accent, Adewale noted that it was tough for him, as that’s something he related to his family and friends. So with a different accent, he could not always present himself. However, as of now, they all have been “an old hat” at that. “They know I’ve been doing this for years, and this is how I operate. My mother and friends, they talk to me as if they’re talking to an American. They don’t even flinch anymore.”
Fans might be shocked to learn that it was quite “difficult” for him to release the accent after the show’s filming wrapped. He mentioned, “It took me about a month to filter out and get back on my own.” Along with the accent, he noted that part of the process was shaving off his look. However, he did not do it “immediately,” as he wanted the “transition” out of his role to be smooth. “I couldn’t just the next day, shave and be myself. That felt like a little bit of disrespect to Alamo. I had to give a respectable exit. But once I got the beard, the salt and pepper and all of that out, I started to get back to myself. It took about a month, to be quite honest,” the actor revealed.
