Why Euphoria 's Martha Kelly Thought She'd Be Fired For Emmy-Nominated Role

When Martha Kelly was hired to play Laurie in Euphoria, she really didn't know what she was signing up for.

"I was really scared to play Laurie because I definitely see the character as just a monster," the Emmy nominee told E! News. "And I'm a stand-up comic, so if I'm lucky enough to get acting jobs, I want them to be likable characters."

But Laurie is the opposite of a likable character. She's a drug dealer who will stop at nothing to make a profit, even if it means hiring a teenager to deal to high schoolers. She even drugged Rue (Zendaya) and locked her in a room, seemingly planning to use her for her gain.

So again, Martha wasn't sure how her skills as a comedienne would translate. "This is a dramatic show," she remembers thinking to herself. "I'm not a dramatic actor. I'm probably going to get fired."

2022 TV Premiere Dates

Suffice to say, Martha surpassed her own expectations. The episode "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird," in which Laurie drugs Rue, earned Martha an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

"I was surprised at people's reactions to Laurie because in my mind she's a really terrible sociopath, a predator," she said. "But that's in my mind. I don't know how Sam envisions her."

Martha gives a lot of credit to the series creator, Sam Levinson, as well as Zendaya, who made her feel welcome on the Euphoria set. Not to mention the fans of the series, who she described as the "sweetest young people."

"It's weird," she said noting that she didn't expect to be nominated so she offered to pick up her niece and nephew from school. "I'm still kind of in shock."

Martha isn't the only Euphoria star to pick up an Emmy nod. Colman Domingo, Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya were also recognized for their performances, with the HBO series getting 16 nominations overall.

Read the complete list of 2022 Emmy nominees here!

The 2022 Emmy Awards will be broadcast live Sept. 12 starting at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on NBC and will stream live on Peacock.

(E! and NBC are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)

Don't miss E!'s live 2022 Emmys red carpet show Monday, Sept. 12, followed by the Emmy Awards ceremony at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.