Kevin Turen, a producer known for his HBO series Euphoria and The Idol, is dead at 44. “Kevin was so incredibly special, this world is going to be less without him,” his father, Edward Turen, said in a statement to Deadline on November 12. His cause of death is unknown at this time. Born in New York City in 1979, Turen studied cinema at Columbia University before heading to Los Angeles and beginning his career in the film industry. He snagged his first producing credit in 2005 with the Larry Clark film Wassup Brothers and later worked on indie films, including Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation, Trey Shultz’s Waves, and Ti West’s X trilogy. Turen entered a fruitful partnership with writer-director Sam Levinson, producing films Operation: Endgame, Assasination Nation, and Malcolm & Marie, together with TV shows Euphoria and The Idol. Additional TV credits include Olivier Assayas’s Irma Vep.
“Despite his many achievements in Hollywood, Kevin’s greatest passion was his family and friends,” close friend and Penske Media Corporation CEO Jay Penske said in a statement. “He was so proud of his children. He and his wife, Evelina, were resolved that their children grow up with great values and ensured they make a difference in the broader world. Our collective heart breaks for them, and we all feel such a profound sense of loss. We will miss Kevin so much, and this town lost one of its brightest rising stars today.”
