Euphoria actress Nika King is the latest Hollywood star to garner attention for her day job, as she’s part-owner of a Vegan Soul Food establishment in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
King, 46, played the role of Leslie Bennett – the mother of Rue Bennett (Zendaya) and Gia Bennett (Storm Reid) on 14 episodes of the HBO series during its first two seasons.
King garnered attention for her vocational versatility last week when she took to Instagram with a post in which she was cleaning the restaurant’s kitchen.
The caption read ‘When [people] ask me if I’m filming S3 of Euphoria? Me:’
A number of King’s fans replied in the thread with different sentiments, many surprised that a performer on a high-profile HBO series had to make ends meet with a day job.
‘You know the job market is terrible when main actors of a huge tv show are struggling,’ said one user, while another added that learning ‘that actors have real jobs out of the filming roles is really humbling to me.’
Euphoria actress Nika King is the latest Hollywood star to garner attention for her day job, as she’s part-owner of a Vegan Soul Food establishment in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
King, 46, played the role of Leslie Bennett – the mother of Rue Bennett ( Zendaya ) and Gia Bennett ( Storm Reid ) on 14 episodes of the HBO series during its first two seasons
Another user thanked King for shining a light on the struggle many actors face between jobs.
‘As an actor who’s been out of work for the past two years after the biggest show I’ve ever done, this felt really validating,’ the user said. ‘Thanks for sharing.’
One user had a similar sentiment, hailing King for keeping it real.
‘This is real life and I’m glad you showed it,’ the user said. ‘People think every actor or actress is rich off one show and I know some that works regular jobs after being on a Hulu show.’
Another person said that the fact that King has to work a normal job resonates as ‘so f***** up’ when taking her talent into account.
‘You’re a phenomenal performer and you truly deserve everything,’ the user said.
One user said in reference to her Euphoria character, ‘Mama Ru is a single mom who works two jobs, who loves her kids and never stops.’
One user praised King for her entrepreneurial spirit, saying, ‘Y’all calling this “sad” but this is HER business … she’s not relying on other people to make sure she’s good … i honestly love this.’
Instagram users were all over the place in their reactions to King’s post
(L-R) Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow, Barbie Ferreira, Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer and Nika King attended HBO’ Euphoria premiere at the Arclight Pacific Theatres’ Cinerama Dome on June 4, 2019 in LA
King, a native of Miami, revealed this past February 28 that she wasn’t returning to the show for its third season.
‘I see the DMs, I see the comments asking if I’m returning for a season three on Euphoria – and unfortunately, I am not,’ King said.
The actress told her 176,000 Instagram followers that she was grateful for the opportunity to play the high-profile role.
‘My character is not coming back to the show, but I am forever grateful to HBO and Zendaya and Sam Levinson, for giving me the opportunity to come on set and do my thing and do my dramatic thing – because a lot of people don’t know I come from a comedy background – but I am so excited about what’s next for me.’
King said she was grateful for the opportunity to develop and showcase her talents in a more dramatic role.
‘Without Euphoria, I was not able to step into who I am as an actor, as a daughter, as a person who is always looking for healing in every project that I do – so I feel like this was necessary in my growth.
The comic-actress does a number of different jobs for the vegan restaurant
The Miami native revealed this past February 28 that she wasn’t returning to the show for its third season
She added, ‘And yeah, to the fans, I love y’all. I mean, I didn’t know I even had fans! People were like, checking for me. I’m like, “Oh, okay, cool” – but thank you so much. And you guys have an amazing day – peace and blessings.
Since her time on the HBO hit, King has been seen in movies such as 2024’s Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot; 2024’s The Rebel Girls; and 2023’s 65.
King made clear she was leaning on her faith amid the transitional time.
All things work to those who love God and who are called by His purpose – and so I’m trusting Him to move me into the next season of my life,’ she said.
