Kadeem Hardison on Reuniting With Zendaya for Euphoria Season 3

Kadeem Hardison and Zendaya's shared history goes back further than many realize. The two actors, who played father and daughter on the Disney Channel series KC Undercover nearly a decade ago, have now crossed paths again on the HBO drama Euphoria.

In the series, the 60-year-old Hardison takes on the role of Big Eddy, a figure at the strip club where Rue begins working who manages finances and other operations for Alamo. Following this week's fourth episode, Hardison reflected on what it meant to reconnect with the 29-year-old actress.

Both performers left the Disney show with intentions to test their range in more serious material. "When we both left there, we were eager to see if we could really act," Hardison explained. While Zendaya moved on to Euphoria, Hardison pursued other projects like Teenage Bounty Hunters. He attended the Euphoria premiere at Zendaya's invitation, an experience that opened his eyes to the show's unflinching portrayal of contemporary youth experiences.

The path to his Euphoria role involved Zendaya's personal connection to creator Sam Levinson. She invited Hardison to a holiday gathering where she facilitated an introduction. Despite that connection, Hardison still had to go through a formal audition process—no shortcuts offered. "Straight audition," he noted, describing the traditional casting room setup with a casting director that he hadn't experienced in years. Within three weeks of his single read, the role came through after necessary approvals from HBO and other parties.

For Hardison, landing a role on HBO represented a long-held goal. "I always wanted to be on HBO — and time was ticking," he said, adding that the opportunity to share scenes with Zendaya made the opportunity particularly meaningful.

Working together again revealed how both performers have evolved since their Disney days. Hardison observed that Zendaya has maintained her professional drive while maturing considerably. Even as a teenager on KC Undercover, she impressed him as an executive producer on the project. That same executive presence has only expanded into her current work across television and film.

"She's a little less goofy," Hardison reflected, noting her evolution from the playful younger version he once knew. Despite the shift in demeanor, he finds her instincts as a performer remarkable. "I didn't know she had that kind of depth," he admitted, describing how watching her work on Euphoria elevated his own performance. He considers her among his favorite actors to observe, particularly because of his familiarity with how intentional her choices are as a performer.