Euphoria Stars Zendaya and Hunter Schafer Share Vegan Meal and Stories of Teen Angst at Crossroads in Los Angeles

Zendaya Coleman (known professionally as “Zendaya”) and Hunter Schafer, the stars of new HBO series Euphoria, recently met at Los Angeles vegan restaurant Crossroads Kitchen for an interview with the Los Angeles Times to discuss topics ranging from the show’s controversial depiction of teen life, the portrayal of transgender actors in media, and whether oat milk reigns supreme amongst other non-dairy milk. Euphoria centers around main character Rue (played by Zendaya), a teenager who struggles with drug addiction while navigating her transition into adulthood. Fresh out of rehab, Rue meets Hunter’s character Jules, a transwoman who seeks out sexual relationships with closeted older men. Since airing its first episode on Sunday, the show has received some media blowback for depicting teenage life in a provocative manner. “This show is in no way to tell people what the right thing to do is,” Zendaya said. “This is not ‘The Moral Message Show.’ This is to inspire compassion among people for other human beings and to understand that everyone has a story you don’t know about, a battle that they’re fighting that you don’t understand. I don’t find the show shocking, but there will be people who do.” Schafer, herself a transwoman, echoed that the show is an accurate portrayal of the teenage experience. “But I also think that’s what being a teenager is,” Schafer said. “Finding the middle ground between being an adult and being a kid and that transition. I think that’s one of the hardest parts, is finding yourself in adult situations but not knowing how to navigate them. And that makes people uncomfortable—because it is uncomfortable.” Sitting in a booth, with fellow celebrities Tobey Maguire and Sara Gilbert dining at nearby tables at the vegan restaurant, the actresses paused in their discussion of Euphoria to comment on the state of the vegan milk industry. While Zendaya expressed skepticism about the popularity of oat milk, Schafer professed her love of the plant-based beverage, stating that oat milk is the “whole milk of the non-dairy milks.” Crossroads is proving to be a popular meetup for celebrities to discuss their groundbreaking projects. Last month, actress Christina Applegate revealed that she first met her Dead to Me co-star Linda Cardellini at the LA eatery, calling it “the best vegan restaurant on the planet.”