Barbie Ferreira departed early from Euphoria, and now the 26-year-old has shared why.
Discussing her character, Kat while on Armchair Expert with Dax Shephard recently, she said, per Vanity Fair, “I don’t think there was a place for her to go.” She continued, “I think there were places she could have gone. I just don’t think it would have fit into the show. I don’t know if it was going to do her justice, and I think both parties knew that I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend. I don’t want to play that, and I think they didn’t want that either.”
Ferreira explained that in Season 2, it was a “struggle” to find a deserving character arc for Kat, largely due to rumors that she had a falling out with series creator Sam Levinson, which led to her diminished screentime. She saw fans becoming “upset” over her character’s smaller role.
“I just felt like, maybe it’s like I overstayed my welcome a little bit?” she said. “So for me, I actually felt good to be like, ‘Okay, I get to not worry about this, and we both don’t get too worried about this,’ because it’s exhausting.”
Ferreira added that she and Levinson made a “mutual decision” to terminate their professional relationship. “Sam writes, for like, things that he relates to. I don’t think he relates to Kat. I like Kat, so I get to go on my own path. At first, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m a flop. I’m a loser.’ It really has been a good thing.”
Ferreira revealed in August that she wouldn’t be returning to the show, taking to her Instagram Story to write, “After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary eyed goodbye,” she wrote. “I hope many of you could see yourself in her like i did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today. i put all my care and love into her and i hope you guys could feel it. love you katherine hernandez.”
