The third — and likely final — season of Euphoria has become a striking example of television going too far with its ambition. What once centered on a visually captivating group of troubled teenagers glowing under neon-purple lights has transformed into something far darker and more chaotic. The story now dives into drug cartels, armed pimps, sugar daddy scandals, bizarre fetishes, and online streaming culture — making it feel worlds away from the high school drama the series originally began as.
A big reason for this dramatic shift is the absence of the people who once kept Rue (played by Zendaya) emotionally grounded. Her younger sister Gia, portrayed by Storm Reid, has disappeared entirely from the story, while her mother Leslie, played by Nika King, has mostly been missing as well. Leslie’s absence has especially stood out because Rue repeatedly talks about how lost she feels without her mother and how desperately she wants to reconnect with her.
In the season’s sixth episode, “Stand Still and See,” viewers finally get a brief moment with Leslie again. After recording an incriminating conversation between Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Laurie (Martha Kelly) about fentanyl smuggling operations between Mexico and the United States, Rue gains enough leverage to potentially escape trouble with the DEA. Around the same time, she clashes violently with Jules, played by Hunter Schafer, over Jules’ involvement in sugar baby arrangements.
Emotionally shaken, Rue ends up sitting in a church pew, praying for forgiveness before finally calling her mother.
“I love you so much, and I’m sorry if I made it harder. I didn’t really realize how tough it is to be out here by yourself,” Rue tells Leslie. “I know I’m not alone. I know that. But yeah, I’ll — I’m coming home soon.”
For the first time this season, the audience sees Leslie respond. “I love you Rue,” she says quietly before staring solemnly out the window.
The scene lasts only seconds, surprising not only fans but Nika King herself — and especially her mother. After the episode aired, King shared a funny Instagram video of her mother, Sharon, teasing her about how short the moment was. Sharon joked about viewers waiting “three years” just to hear her daughter say one line.
Reflecting on the moment, King explained that her mother has always been her biggest supporter and source of humor through the ups and downs of the entertainment industry.
“My mom is my best friend. She’s seen me go through the ups and downs of the industry, and she’s always trying to make me laugh and make me see that it’s not the end of the world,” King says.
The emotional depth King brings to Leslie’s character comes from personal experience. Growing up, her own mother struggled with addiction, something King says made it easy for her to connect with Leslie’s helplessness as a parent watching her child spiral deeper into substance abuse.
“My mom was an addict when I grew up, so I’m always holding on to this memory of helplessness. It’s easy for me to channel that,” King says. “The dynamic between Rue and Leslie is very similar to my mom and I.”
King shared that things eventually changed when her mother was faced with a painful ultimatum: get sober or risk losing her children to foster care. That moment became a turning point.
“She went through the world without having a biological mom,” King says, explaining that her mother herself had grown up in foster care after losing her own mother at a young age. “My mom went to rehab after she was told that if she didn’t get clean, she was going to lose her kids. That was the turning point for her.”
Raised in Miami, King originally planned to study physical therapy in college before discovering acting. After taking one class, she immediately realized it was what she wanted to pursue full-time. She eventually moved to Los Angeles, immersing herself in comedy through stand-up, sketch work, and improv at The Groundlings.
Before landing her breakthrough role in Euphoria, King appeared in shows like Hannah Montana and 2 Broke Girls, while also performing stand-up comedy regularly.
Still, playing Leslie completely changed the trajectory of her career.
“That was the breakout role, because it was so different than I was used to as a dramatic role,” King says. “It put me on a different path.”
She recalled auditioning for the part in 2018 and feeling intimidated after seeing famous actresses in the waiting room, including Garcelle Beauvais and Jill Marie Jones.
To her surprise, she soon learned she had been selected to play Zendaya’s mother and was quickly brought in for a chemistry read with the actress.
After Season 2 premiered in early 2022, the long wait before Season 3 led King back home to Florida, where she helped her mother run their vegan restaurant, Blue Tree Cafe Vegan Soul Food. During this hiatus, she also continued performing comedy sets, joking onstage about fans constantly asking when Season 3 would return.
In one viral clip, King joked that she “didn’t fuckin’ know” when the show was returning and humorously claimed she needed it back because she “hadn’t paid my rent in six months!”
King later explained that the joke was taken far more seriously online than intended.
“I’m in a comedy club telling a joke,” she says. “It was a realization for me that I was on a different level in terms of visibility.”
Not long after the clip spread online, King learned that she initially would not return for Season 3.
“My third-year contract option was terminated; they told me they were going to go in a different direction,” she says.
However, once production had already started, she unexpectedly received another call asking her to come back for several episodes. She quickly flew to Los Angeles and filmed scenes for two episodes, though she admits she still doesn’t know exactly how much viewers will ultimately see of Leslie because creator Sam Levinson constantly rewrites material.
Despite the uncertainty, King remains deeply attached to the character.
“But I love Leslie. I will ride or die for her,” she says. “Everyone has a mom and is familiar with that dynamic.”
Today, King continues balancing acting, comedy, and helping her mother run their restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, where they are preparing a summer initiative to feed hundreds of underserved children. She is also teaching acting classes in Florida while developing her second comedy special.
Looking ahead, King hopes to continue taking on emotionally layered dramatic roles similar to Leslie.
“It’s such a great role, and great starting point to a dramatic career,” she says. “Like stories involving people overcoming great obstacles.”
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. He holds CAVCO Personnel Number SINH0106. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
