Storm Reid’s characters have been through some pretty dark shit (a zombie apocalypse, living with a teenage addict, etc.), but in real life, the 22-year-old actress couldn’t be more upbeat and radiant. Like, her aura is pure sunshine, and that’s not an exaggeration. On a recent New Balance-sponsored trip to the Australian Open, I observed that the NB ambassador rarely left her mom’s side, snapped a healthy amount of selfies for the ‘gram, and consistently served looks in tennis chic fits. Not to mention, she was warm and smiley with every single person she encountered.

I caught up with the Euphoria star at a New Balance kit launch event for tennis queen Coco Gauff — Storm was there to support Coco as a fellow ambassador for the footwear and apparel company, but also as a close friend. After she hyped up the athlete in a charming onstage introduction, we set up in a quiet-ish corner of the Melbourne Park New Balance store to chat about life after her Emmy win, her dream co-stars, and Euphoria finally returning this year. And let me just say, she wins the award for Most Cheerful Interviewee.

Storm Reid Talks Euphoria, Emmy Win, Dream Co-Stars

Image Credit: Ilana Frost

Although Storm will not reprise her role as Gia in season 3, she’s just as excited for the new episodes as the rest of us. “I can’t wait to see where the show goes, specifically, Rue,” she told me. “Like she’s just, she’s a hot mess. So to see what that hot mess looks like five years later is gonna be really interesting.” I couldn’t agree more. The actress hasn’t spoken to the cast yet this year, but it’s clear there’s still a lot of love there. And while she waits for more Euphoria, she’s keeping herself busy with a Scandal binge. (“To be able to watch that show for the first time again… I would pay a pretty penny for that.”)

About two years after her Emmy win for her guest role in The Last of Us, Storm is approaching the next stage of her career with intention. “I don’t think it’s something that I’ve fully digested,” she said of the surreal moment. “It really did ignite a little bit more confidence in me, to just keep on going and go after the roles that really mean something to me and being intentional.” Now, she’s seeking out more high-quality projects, because she’s genuinely passionate about her craft. Surely, more prestigious awards will follow, but that isn’t Storm’s priority.

Image Credit: Getty

Watch out for a Storm Reid x Denzel Washington x Meryl Streep collab. Kidding — for now. When I asked the actress about her dream co-stars, she threw out some serious bangers. She joked that Denzel probably “wants to sit down” and not make more movies, but she’d love to “slide in a project with him” if the opportunity every presented itself. She also named Angela Bassett and Viola Davis as dream collaborators, and added that she’d love to work with some of her Gen Z besties in the industry, too. I would personally love to see Storm work with Sadie Sink and/or Jenna Ortega, so this is me putting that out into the universe.

In 2026, Storm hopes to challenge herself and check off some bucket list items. (In 2025, she ran a 5k, which is something she never thought she’d be able to do.) “I just want to do things that I think I can’t do. I want to challenge myself to just like do cool stuff, do exciting stuff. Do things that make me nervous, but at the end of it you’ll feel good.” And ya know what? I’m confident this brilliant, hard-working diva can achieve anything she sets her mind to.