Is Lexi Howard Based on Euphoria Creator, Sam Levinson?

There are many Euphoria theories out there. It was only fitting that we submitted our own, so buckle up because we've done some digging.

Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO

We know the acclaimed series on HBO Max does not carry an entirely original plot. Euphoria is an adaptation of an Israeli TV miniseries that had the same titled, created by Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin. However, it's also been openly discussed that Sam Levinson has put a lot of his experiences growing up, and those of the cast members, into the story.

For starters, it's been acknowledged that the storyline of Jules Vaughn, played by Hunter Schafer, has been largely inspired by Hunter's upbringing and experiences as a teenager. Hunter even co-wrote Jules's special episode, which aired in early 2021. Another cast member whose real life inspired her character is Barbie Ferreira. In the first season her character, Kat Hernandez, is revealed to be a hugely popular fan fiction writer. Barbie herself used to be the original Tumblr girl who many fans of the show used to follow before she started acting.

Even the show creator, Sam Levinson, has opened up about how his own experiences with drug addiction have influenced the series. But this season, we couldn't help but notice a few easter eggs that introduce an interesting theory.

Could Lexi Howard Be Based Off Sam Levinson's Current Life?

Before you start shaking your head, let us present you with our findings. In the first episode of the second season we saw more of Lexi than in all of the first season combined. She was first introduced as a wallflower: Cassie's younger sister and a loyal friend of Rue's who is introverted and quiet. We don't learn much about Lexi Howard during the first season, even when she is present during some of the most important moments.

This time around, Sam Levinson has given her a spotlight. It could be said that the house party episode is experienced through Lexi's eyes. But it wasn't until the one of the most recent episode that this theory was born.

When we look into Lexi's past, we get a glimpse of a young girl who had to endure a lot of pain and stress in silence. How does she cope with her problems? By pretending that her life is a TV Show, and her sister, her family, and her friends are paid actors who are just going off Lexi's script. This would mean that Lexi is the creator of her own series. This coping mechanism could be a reflection of Lexi's inclination to remain on the sidelines and be an observer. But it also feels eerily similar to Sam Levinson's current role as the writer of the show.

While he's not Lexi typing furiously at her keyboard in the middle of the night, Sam Levinson is known to hold control over most, if not all, of the Euphoria plot. It's alleged that he does not have a writers' room, and that while he's shared writing credits with some people (one of them being Hunter Schafer), Sam Levinson appears to be in sole control of what happens to these characters.

Here's where Lexi's play comes into, well, play.

On episode three, we get Euphoria's most meta episode to date when Lexi reveals she's writing a school play. Titled This Is Life, Lexi's play segment breaks the fourth wall by introducing the characters we know and paints them as actors in her own series. We even get a scene where she hosts auditions for Cassie's role, and the lines between reality and fiction vanish.

We didn't think Lexi had it in her, but she was able to set her plan in motion and convinced the principal to let her host the play. This play, whether real or fiction, would no doubt be juicy. As we mentioned before, Lexi's been an observer since season one. She hasn't actively participated in the most chaotic moments, but she's been a key witness to almost all of them. And when she's not there, the other characters see her as a confidant who can keep a secret.

All along we've thought that if anyone would be based off Sam Levinson, it had to be one of the main characters. But in this case, we're throwing all the obvious cards out-the-window and calling it that Lexi is the actual writer of Euphoria. She could be metaphorically a representation of Sam, who's gotten to see this characters grow and evolve, and now, after a successful first season, wants to immerse himself in the story. Or, within the show, Lexi grew up to be a successful HBO writer and is using her memories of high school to give us one of the best series we've seen.

We know there are gaps in this theory considering that Euphoria is based on an existing show, but we can all agree that Sam Levinson's writing has evolved it into something completely different. In a way, he's given it a life of its own.

It's only fitting that after expressing how pivotal and impactful his teenager years were to him, he'd want another shot at living them. This time with him having full control. To us, the obvious choice to represent this control would be Lexi: the series most neutral, observant, and mature character that just happens to be aware and in the know of everything.

---

Let us know your thoughts on our Reddit thread or on our Instagram, where we post the latest Euphoria content.