First Look at Euphoria Star Alexa Demie in HBO’s The Idol (Is it Maddy Perez?)

As fans take in The Idol‘s premiere on HBO and Max, many are already wondering if Alexa Demie’s role in the show is actually a reprisal of Maddie Perez from Euphoria.

Centered on Lily-Rose Depp as aspiring pop idol Jocelyn and her complicated relationship with a self-help guru/cult leader (played by The Weeknd), The Idol highlights the leading character’s nervous breakdown that causes her latest music tour to be canceled.

The new series’ first pair of episodes debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, being slammed by some critics for its graphic sexual content and themes while setting up a potentially intense and drama-filled new adventure for HBO’s catalog.

Euphoria Actress Alexa Demie’s The Idol Cameo

During the first episode of The Idol, which premiered on HBO on Sunday, June 4, fans noticed a quick cameo by Alexa Demie.

Demie is best known in recent years for her role as Maddie Perez in the wildly successful series Euphoria, in which her character is the on-again-off-again girlfriend of Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs. 

In this episode of The Idol, Demie is seen dancing next to one of the show’s main actresses, Jennie Kim, although her cameo only lasts for a few seconds.

Many are now speculating that Demie is playing Euphoria‘s Maddie Perez in The Idol, especially considering the fact that Euphoria creator Sam Levinson also created this new series.

BLINKVotingPage shared a quick GIF of Demie’s cameo from Episode 1 of The Idol, in which she danced next to Jennie Ruby Jane’s Dyanne:

The two were seen laughing together and hugging one another with Lily Rose-Depp’s Jocelyn after Jocelyn ran into The Weeknd’s Tedros at his nightclub.

Is Euphoria’s Maddy Perez Actually in HBO’s The Idol?

For the time being, it’s impossible to tell if Maddy Perez actually made an appearance in The Idol, especially considering she had no lines and only a short amount of screen time in the first episode of this new HBO show.

Both shows seem to deal with a number of similar thematic beats and adult experiences centered on groups of younger protagonists, and with Sam Levinson at the helm of both shows, it wouldn’t come as too much of a shock to see him cross universes in this fashion.

With Maddie starring in all 16 episodes of Euphoria thus far, having Demie actually play the same role in The Idol would mark a milestone crossover for the HBO properties after Euphoria won two Emmy Awards behind Zendaya’s performance as Rue.

But since The Idol is only one week into its run, many will simply wait to see if Demie returns to the small screen in future episodes and has any kind of big speaking role before coming to any conclusions.

The first episode of The Idol is now streaming on Max.