Euphoria surprised viewers by killing Nate Jacobs – but how did it happen Jacob ElordiCharacter ‘s die on screen?
Season 3 of the HBO hit follows Nate as he struggles with a debt he owes to an Armenian mob. He was amputated while trying to get money to fix his problems. Nate even found his wife, Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), involved and started making money on OnlyFans to support him.
Sunday, May 24, episode of EuphoriaCassie was told she had 72 hours to raise $1 million to save Nate. Viewers saw that he was trapped in an underground box and would die of dehydration. When Cassie was trying to get the money to free Nate, a snake entered the box and attacked her.
Later in the episode, Cassie – with help from Maddy (Alexa Demie) and Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) came to save Nate. The only problem? He had already died after multiple rattlesnake bites.
“That was a cool way to go. Nate was someone who made a lot of mistakes and made a lot of dark decisions,” Elordi explained in a segment that aired after the episode on Sunday, May 24. “It’s nice to see it all come to fruition.”
Elordi recalled having to film in the coffin, adding, “My shoulders were touching the side and I couldn’t move my arms. Then they punched the lid on it and it went black. It was really beautiful, actually. It was really peaceful there.”
!['Euphoria' Creator Sam Levinson Reveals The Inspiration Behind It [Spoiler's] A Horrible Death](https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/TCDEUPH_HO181.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all)
The stunt crew, on the other hand, emphasized how important it is to make sure the actor has oxygen. They praised Elordi for agreeing to spend “a little time in the box.” Viewers may be surprised, however, to find that creator Sam Levinson “I wanted to shoot it with a real snake” so a rattlesnake and a boa constrictor were both shown on screen.
“The snakes were biting, which was very scary when you were locked in a box,” commented Elordi. “They had a boa constrictor that they put a fake rattler on the end of.”
He continued: “He was so beautiful. He was really lovely. So he just laid next to me and it was nice. But he was really sleepy. He was a sleepy snake. I had to move him to wake up. That’s how it was.”
At the end of the segment, Elordi reflected on his time playing Nate.
“It’s a bittersweet thing,” he said. “This show is a big part of – not just my career – but my life. It was amazing and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Elordi has starred with Nate since the show premiered in 2019. Before the show returned, Elordi teased how viewers will be reunited with Nate in the third and possibly final season.
“I just finished filming the new season, and it’s a completely different experience,” he shared on the December 2025 episode of Variety’s cast interview on Actors. “I really think [he will be nicer].”
Elordi continued: “Whether it works or not — I don’t know, there’s a good chance that what I did is not good.”
