In a shocking television payday, Zendaya will earn $1 million per episode for Euphoria Season 3, a sum so large that HBO is reportedly expecting more than just acting—specifically, a little real-life commitment to the role.

“When you’re paying someone a million dollars an episode, you expect a higher level of realism,” an HBO executive said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “For that kind of money, we don’t just want Zendaya pretending to be a strung-out teen. We need her to wake up unsure what decade it is.”

The contract allegedly includes a fine-print clause requiring ‘enhanced method acting’, which sources say strongly suggests real fentanyl use at least once per episode. Lawyers insist it’s more of a gentle push than a strict mandate, but insiders say HBO execs have privately referred to the provision as the “Robert Downey Jr. Clause.”

While Zendaya has not publicly commented, industry experts believe this signals a new era of high-stakes method acting. “We’ve had actors starve themselves, live in the wild, and become actual blacksmiths for roles,” said one Hollywood insider. “For a million bucks an episode, is it really so crazy to ask for a tiny opioid dependency?”

At press time, HBO was rumored to be in early negotiations with Austin Butler, offering him $2 million per episode to develop a real gambling addiction for a new Las Vegas drama.