MEDIA: Television –
June 8, 2019 – For Levinson, who has been open about his own addiction, part of that safe environment included being sensitive to the portrayal of Rue’s (Zendaya) addiction in the series. But, he admitted he wouldn’t shy away from the harsh reality in favor of such sensitivity. “I think any time you put anything on screen, you run the risk of glamorizing it just by the nature of it being on screen,” Levinson said. “I don’t want [to be triggering], but we also have to be authentic about it … I think people can tell if we’re pulling our punches and not showing the relief that drugs can be. It starts to lose its impact.” Levinson, who shared that watching “Requiem for a Dream” made him want to try heroin, said the production team is “mindful” of not only the portrayal of, but also how a young audience might respond to the subject matter. However, he admits that he doesn’t see the show as a “cure for anything.”
