'Euphoria's Nika King on playing on-screen mom to Zendaya and Storm Reid: 'I would want kids just like them'
Upcoming HBO teen drama series 'Euphoria' revolves around a group of high school students as they navigate through drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love, and friendship. The show, based on an Israeli series of the same name created by Ron Leshem, Daphna Levin, and Tmira Yardeni, stars Zendaya, Storm Reid, Nika King, Maude Apatow, Eric Dane, Angus Cloud, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferriera, Hunter Schafer, and Sydney Sweeney. Nika King plays the role of Leslie, the tough and determined mother of Rue (Zendaya) and Gia (Reid) in the show.
In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Nika King commented on how it felt playing the role of Zendaya's and Reid's mother on the show. "From a very early age, my motherly instincts were cultivated so it wasn’t difficult playing Leslie. My mother was a single mother of six so I was changing diapers and bathing my siblings when I was just a child myself," said the Miami-born actress. "I love our relationship on the show because we’re all very silly and like to dance. If I were to have kids, I would want kids just like them," she added about her breakout performance in the show.
The comedian and actor added that her chemistry with Zendaya and Reid was "amazing" and most of her time on set was spent with them, which "made it easier for us to bond". "Most of my scenes are just with Zendaya and Gia, so I didn't see the other cast," she said. King has previously featured on popular television series including 'Hannah Montana', 'Greenleaf', '2 Broke Girls' and 'NCIS: Los Angeles'. She's excited about the role and said that she had been waiting for something like this in her career. "I have a theatre degree from the University of Florida so when I booked this role I was like I’m finally going to be seen as an actress and not just a comedian," she said.
Teasing the upcoming series, King said that "every episode is dynamic," and after she had read the script she was "excited to see where the story would go and I was not disappointed."
'Euphoria' is set to premiere on June 16 on HBO.
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