For being a show about high schoolers, Euphoria features a lot of nudity.
This aspect of the HBO series has drawn a lot of criticism in the second season, with viewers questioning why actresses like Sydney Sweeney and Chloe Cherry are routinely asked to strip down for scenes.
But this treatment isn't exclusive to the female cast members, as even their male co-stars are asked to do the same. Jacob Elordi joked in an Ellen DeGeneres show interview, airing Wednesday, Mar. 2, that he has "no choice" but to take off his shirt in the show. "It's like every scene is like he sleeps with this person, he does this with this person naked," before noting that it at least makes sense in the context of the scene—unlike other projects he's worked on. "I've done some movies where it gets to the point where it's like, he goes to the mall shirtless. And you're like, why?"
Whereas, Jacob thinks that "on Euphoria, it comes with the territory of the character," adding that Nate Jacobs is "an ultra-masculine, macho jock, so those guys, I think, tend to get around pretty shirtless so it's sort of okay."
The Australian actor noted that HBO provided the cast with an intimacy coordinator, who he describes as a "second mother" because of her protective demeanor. "She's like, 'Are you uncomfortable? Are you okay?'" he said. "To the point where you're like, 'Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.'"
Additionally, he's worked with the same production crew since season one so, he jokes, "It's like getting naked in front of your family."
In response to that last bit, Ellen DeGeneres replied, "Which also is weird... Just to let you know, in this country that's weird. I don't know about Australia."
Jacob isn't alone in his assessment of Euphoria's nudity. His co-star Sydney previously shared that series creator and writer Sam Levinson is open to making changes if the nudity wasn't "necessary."
"I've never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show," she told The Independent. "When I didn't want to do it, he didn't make me."
Even Eric Dane, who plays Nate's dad Cal, feels his explicit scenes further the plot, previously telling E! News, "As long as it's purposeful in the context of the story, then I think it's useful."
To see for yourself, check out the first two seasons of Euphoria, streaming now on HBO Max.