Guess The ‘Euphoria’ Star: What TMZ’s Celebrity Scramble Says About Fandom Culture

TMZ’s latest “Guess The ‘Euphoria’ Star — Celebrity Scramble!” takes a familiar HBO face and twists it into a surreal, puzzle-like portrait, challenging readers to identify a 29-year-old actress and model hiding in plain sight. It’s quick-hit celebrity content, sure, but it also plugs directly into the way Euphoria has reshaped teen drama, online fandom, and how we talk about young stars in 2020s pop culture.


Scrambled photo puzzle of a Euphoria actress featured on TMZ
TMZ’s “Celebrity Scramble” image teasing a 29-year-old Euphoria actress and model. Image © TMZ.

How Euphoria Became a Cultural Rorschach Test

When HBO’s Euphoria premiered in 2019, it almost instantly became more than “just another teen show.” It fused stylized cinematography, emotionally raw performances, and music-video-level visual flair into a series that felt like a chaotic scroll through TikTok, Instagram, and your group chat all at once.

The show quickly launched or supercharged the public profiles of its ensemble cast: Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, Barbie Ferreira, Sydney Sweeney, Maude Apatow, and more. Each actor became shorthand for a certain aesthetic and attitude—Rue’s oversized streetwear, Maddy’s razor-sharp glam, Cassie’s soft-focus hyperfemininity, Jules’ neon, androgynous dreamscape.

In that environment, a TMZ scramble isn’t just a goofy face game—it’s another way fans engage with the show’s mythology. Recognizing an actor from a warped still is almost like recognizing a song from one second of audio on TikTok: a flex of your fandom literacy.


Inside TMZ’s “Guess The ‘Euphoria’ Star” Scramble Format

TMZ’s “Celebrity Scramble” posts follow a simple format: take a celebrity portrait, digitally twist and shuffle the features into a surreal composition, then tease readers with a short blurb and a birthday or career clue. In this case, the hook is:

Hidden inside this mash-up is an actress and model who turns 29 years old today. Given the clues, do you think you've got what it takes to score the unknown hottie?

As clickbait goes, it’s efficient. You get:

  • A clear time peg (the star’s 29th birthday).
  • A double-identity tease (actress and model).
  • A direct challenge to the reader’s celebrity IQ.

The scramble image itself does most of the work. Browsing on mobile, it’s a fast visual puzzle: you scroll, squint, clock the jawline or the brows, take a guess, then reveal the answer. It’s a mini-game built for people who already spend time on TikTok “blind ranking” and “guess the song in 3 seconds” challenges.

Person using a smartphone to browse entertainment news and celebrity content
Celebrity puzzles like TMZ’s scramble are tailored for quick, mobile-first interaction.

Why Fans Love Celebrity Scrambles and Visual Puzzles

Visual puzzles about famous faces predate the internet—think magazine quizzes, “spot the difference,” or those late-night game shows that felt like they were broadcasting from another dimension. But in the age of Euphoria and hyper-online fandom, they’ve evolved into something closer to social currency.

Being able to instantly identify a star from a mangled screenshot says:

  1. You’re plugged in: You know the cast, not just the main lead.
  2. You’re observant: You recognize bone structure, makeup styles, and even lighting.
  3. You’re part of the club: Fandom thrives on in-jokes and shared recognition.

The popularity of a scramble like TMZ’s also reflects how celebrity media has shifted from long-read profiles to what you might call interactive gossip: rankings, quizzes, filters, and games that make you feel like you’re not just consuming celebrity culture—you’re participating in it.

Fandom today often means solving small “puzzles” together—online and in real life.

The Fine Line: Fun Celebrity Games vs. Objectification

The scramble itself is pretty harmless—a warped image and a birthday shoutout—but the language around it (“score the unknown hottie”) hints at a broader tension in celebrity coverage, especially when it comes to young women from shows like Euphoria.

Euphoria is already under the microscope for how it depicts teen sexuality and trauma. Media coverage that leans too hard into “hottie” framing risks flattening multi-dimensional performers into just their looks, even when they’re delivering layered performances that critics routinely praise.

“I think it’s important that we remember these characters are not just outfits or makeup looks—they’re people processing a lot of pain.”
— A common refrain from critics discussing Euphoria’s legacy

There’s nothing wrong with a lightweight guessing game, but it lands differently when the subject is a real person whose image is already heavily scrutinized online. The healthiest version of this format treats it as a birthday easter egg, not a license for more invasive commentary.

Person reading entertainment news on a tablet with a neutral expression
Modern celebrity coverage walks a line between playful engagement and respectful portrayal.

Euphoria’s Cast: From HBO Drama to Global Brand Ambassadors

Regardless of which specific actress is hiding in TMZ’s scramble, one thing is consistent: Euphoria has turned its ensemble into multi-hyphenate brands. Many of them are:

  • Fronting major fashion and beauty campaigns as models.
  • Booking high-profile film and TV roles beyond Euphoria.
  • Becoming style references on Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram.

That “actress and model” descriptor in TMZ’s caption is less a unique identifier and more a statement about the whole cast’s trajectory. They’re no longer just “HBO actors”—they’re part of a global visual language, their faces circulated in moodboards, edits, and, yes, celebrity scrambles.

Behind-the-scenes view of a fashion photo shoot with bright lights and camera setup
Many Euphoria actors now move fluidly between screen roles and high-fashion campaigns.

How to Get the Most Fun Out of Celebrity Scramble Games

If you’re treating TMZ’s “Guess The ‘Euphoria’ Star” as a casual fandom workout rather than a high-stakes exam, here’s a simple way to enjoy it:

  1. Look for signature features: Brows, lips, jawline, and hairline often survive the scrambling.
  2. Use the birthday/context clue: Age, modeling history, and current projects can narrow it down.
  3. Guess before you scroll to the answer: Part of the fun is committing to a prediction.
  4. Keep it respectful: React to the reveal like you would if the actor were in the room—because one day, they might see the comments.

Played this way, celebrity scrambles are a low-stress way to stay engaged with shows you love between seasons without spiraling into spoiler hunts or discourse wars.

Person smiling while scrolling through a phone on a sofa
Treated as a light puzzle, celebrity scrambles are a quick, low-stakes dose of fandom fun.

Verdict: A Playful Side Quest in the Euphoria Expanded Universe

TMZ’s “Guess The ‘Euphoria’ Star — Celebrity Scramble!” is lightweight entertainment that understands the moment: it’s fast, visual, and built for mobile scrolling. The puzzle taps into Euphoria’s cultural footprint and the fandom’s eye for detail, offering a quick hit of interactivity instead of another dense thinkpiece.

On the plus side, it:

  • Keeps fans engaged with the Euphoria cast between major news drops.
  • Leans into visual literacy and recognition rather than pure gossip.
  • Fits neatly into how we already use our phones—short, swipeable, and easy to share.

The downside is mostly tonal: language that over-emphasizes looks can feel dated, especially with a show that’s sparked so many serious conversations about mental health, identity, and trauma. A slightly more thoughtful caption would go a long way.

Still, as a tiny side quest in the bigger Euphoria ecosystem, this celebrity scramble works. It’s a quick reminder of how deeply these faces are etched into the culture—and how much fun people have spotting them, even when the image is turned upside down and inside out.