‘I like my life like this’: Alexa Demie shuts down retirement rumors after ‘Euphoria’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress Alexa Demie has addressed persistent rumors about her retirement from acting after 'Euphoria', setting the record straight during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Sunday, May 31.
Best known for portraying Maddy Perez in the HBO drama, she candidly addressed the retirement speculation and the transformative impact of the series on her career and personal life.
Demie also reflected on the challenges she faced as a Latina actor in Hollywood and explained why she prefers to keep her ambitions and future plans out of the public eye.
Alexa Demie addresses retirement rumors after 'Euphoria'
Speculation about Demie's retirement has circulated for years, partly due to a resurfaced 2020 podcast interview in which she discussed the difficulties of navigating Hollywood as a Latina actor. At the time, she spoke about feeling discouraged by the lack of opportunities available to performers from similar backgrounds.
Those comments were later interpreted by some as a sign that she intended to leave acting altogether. In the interview, Demie directly addressed those assumptions, “I’m like, where did people get this? People really take the authority out of your hands. What happened to my ability to choose? I like my life like this, and I wouldn’t change it.”
She continued, “Just because I’m not posting my every move? Why do people have to make that up? It takes away from artists being able to choose what they want to do. I’m very happy. I’m exactly where I want to be.”
The actor also pushed back against the idea that maintaining a low profile means she lacks professional ambitions. While several of her 'Euphoria' co-stars, including Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Sydney Sweeney, have built extensive filmographies in recent years, Demie has remained more selective about the projects she takes on.
She explained, “I think I’ve always had this thing in me where I don’t want people to know what I’m doing, I have so many dreams and aspirations and things I’m working on, but I want them to happen first before I tell people.”
Alexa Demie reflects on Hollywood struggles and the impact of 'Euphoria'
Demie currently has 15 acting credits listed on IMDb, including acclaimed performances in Jonah Hill’s 'Mid90s' (2018) and Trey Edward Shults’ 'Waves' (2019), both released by A24. Looking back on her early experiences in the industry, she recalled feeling frustrated by the limited opportunities available to Hispanic actors.
She said, “There were definitely moments where I was like, ‘Should I just stop? Should I just quit? But I never really meant it. I think it was more like, ‘I’m going to prove them wrong.’”
The actor described 'Euphoria' as a turning point in her career and said the role of Maddy was the first character she truly wanted to play. She explained that the experience pushed her outside her comfort zone and changed the way she viewed herself as a performer.
Demie said, “‘Euphoria’ was the first thing that I really wanted to do. It brought me out of my shell. It made me realize that I can do things that scare me.”
She also acknowledged her preference for privacy, joking about the kind of life she might have chosen if acting had not taken her in a different direction.
She stated, “I would probably be Enya, just living in a castle somewhere.”
Although she continues to value her privacy, Demie said she has learned how to balance a quieter personal life with the demands of a public career.
