Anna Van Patten Was Always Meant To Be On Euphoria

Anna Van Patten had to wait a long time for her Euphoria dreams to come true. Before making her grand entrance in the much-debated third season of the HBO series, the rising star was one of many actors hoping to play Cassie, the character ultimately portrayed by Sydney Sweeney.

“I actually auditioned for the first season of Euphoria, and there was so much buzz around it before it even came out,” the 27-year-old tells Bustle over Zoom from her New York hotel room, where she just returned from a coffee walk in the sunny weather. “It felt like a lot of friends and people knew about it. I can’t remember watching the first episode, but I imagine I must have been blown away.”

Over seven years and multiple TV shows later, she finally gets her Euphoria moment. Halfway through Season 3, Van Patten enters the Silver Slipper, the strip club where Rue (Zendaya) is employed, as its newest dancer, Kitty. The clientele were enamored with her, resulting in a rather upsetting group encounter where a lap dance turned into much more. But Kitty refuses to let that moment define her, befriending Maddy (Alexa Demie), now an OnlyFans talent manager, and Magick (Rosalía), the club’s star dancer, in pursuit of a better future.

Kitty’s wide-eyed yet soft-spoken demeanor suggests she has quite the story to tell, but Van Patten is still figuring that out. “Because there was such a short preparation time from when I booked the role to being on set, I approached it very differently,” she says. (Her casting was announced in February 2025, when Season 3 began filming.) “I really focused on the present moment and displaying her truth in each moment, not necessarily thinking about her whole life or what led to this.”

Van Patten gained notoriety for starring on HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot in 2021 and acting alongside her older sister, Grace, in 2025’s The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. But as with Sweeney, Euphoria is looking like her potential breakout, with her calling it “the longest shoot I’ve been a part of” but also the most “positive.” And somehow it was less racy than Gossip Girl, where her character Grace had an affair... with her brother. “I didn’t know where my character was gonna go,” she says.

However, like everyone else, she’s still in the dark when it comes to the May 31 season finale, wondering who may die and if some of her scenes will make the final cut. “I’m scared for a lot of characters,” she teases. “It could be anyone.”

Below, Van Patten opens up about taking pole dancing lessons, coming face-to-face with Sweeney years after her audition, and her favorite scenes that may not see the light of day.

What drew you to the character of Kitty?

Reading the character description about Kitty, it resonated a lot with me — her soft voice, and how she’s maybe destined for another life. I also knew it would be a big challenge to be a dancer because that’s very outside my comfort zone.

What did you do to prepare for that?

I watched a lot of movies where the characters were not necessarily dancers, but who I think Kitty wanted to be. If you haven’t seen Born Yesterday, Judy Holliday is just so phenomenal. I’ve never seen a character like that before. I definitely pulled a lot from her, and I started taking pole dancing [lessons], making playlists, and looking at YouTube vlogs of “day in the lives” of dancers.

Do you feel like you have any similarities with Kitty?

She chooses to see the best in people, and I definitely do that too. She’s putting her trust into... not the right people, but she’s trying really hard to be positive and trust that it’s all gonna be OK in the end. I can relate to that.

Who would you say you bonded with the most?

On Euphoria, you spend so much time in the hair and makeup trailer before getting to set. Everyone is just so nice and such a comfort. My favorite days on set were definitely with the gals. There’s a scene that might have been cut, but it was me, Magick, and Maddy in a car. That was such a fun day driving around Hollywood Boulevard with a camera attached. I hope it makes the finale.

What was the best thing you learned about working with Rosalía?

Watching her work was so much fun because she’d ask questions that I would never even think of. She just approached acting so organically. Even off camera, when we’d just be talking, she could talk about anything when it comes to art. She’s just such a magical person.

What about Zendaya?

She was on my first day on set. She set the tone for the entire shooting process because she was so calm and present. I just felt super taken care of, and she was such a warm presence to be around.

It’s very cool that years after auditioning for Cassie, you got to be on-screen with Sweeney. What was that experience like?

There’s another scene that I don’t know if it’s gonna make it, but I got to watch [Sydney] up close and personal do a stunt. I was amazed by her because she was just down to do it all by herself a hundred times, and each time it would get bigger and crazier. She’s just so fun to watch. It might be in the finale, so I don’t know if I should give it away.

In the last episode, Kitty is being taken to Mexico for a BBL, and there was some concern that she wouldn’t come back. Were you concerned when you read this in the script?

I wasn’t really putting in my own thinking about it, because it worked better for me just to be like, “Kitty wants a BBL, and we’ll see what happens after that.”

What was your reaction to Nate’s death?

I had no idea. I had suspicions because there’d be pictures in the makeup trailer with fingers and stuff. I’d be like, “What is happening? Whose toes are these, and whose fingers are these?” But that seemed so, so insane, and what a brutal way to go.

Assuming Kitty makes it out of the episode alive, what hopes do you have for her future?

She has a lot of dreams, and I don’t think we necessarily see what they are. I just hope she gets out of this world, but something big would have to happen for her to get out, just because she’s put herself through so much. I want a happy ending for her.

From what you know of this finale, how do you think fans will react to it?

It’s going to be a wild ride. It’s a lot of action happening. Just from the scenes that I shot, it feels like a really big production.

What is on your vision board following Euphoria?

A lot of it is working with certain directors. I remain open to seeing what the world has in store for me, but I’m hoping that it’s something that is just as amazing and iconic as this.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.