# Kevin Turen

**Kevin Turen** (August 16, 1979 – November 12, 2023) was an American film and television producer best known as an executive producer of HBO's *Euphoria* and *The Idol* and as a producer of the [Ti West](https://www.edgepedia.org/ti-west) horror films *X* (2022), *Pearl* (2022), and *MaXXXine* (2024). His film credits also included *Arbitrage*, *All Is Lost*, *Pieces of a Woman*, *[Waves](https://www.edgepedia.org/waves-2019-film)*, and *The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent*.<sup>[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1979, New York City, New York<sup>[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1834530/)</sup> |
| Died | November 12, 2023, at age 44, after a cardiac event while driving on a California freeway<sup>[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-12-02/kevin-turen-cause-of-death)</sup> |
| Cause of death | Acute cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophic heart disease, with coronary artery atherosclerosis as a contributing condition, per the L.A. County medical examiner<sup>[3](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-12-02/kevin-turen-cause-of-death)</sup> |
| Signature company | Co-founded Little Lamb Productions with Sam and Ashley Levinson in 2018<sup>[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)</sup> |
| Emmy recognition | Nominated for Outstanding Drama Series in 2022 as an executive producer of *Euphoria*, a nine-time Emmy-winning series<sup>[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kevin-turen)</sup> |
| Education | Studied English and cinema at Columbia University before moving to Los Angeles<sup>[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/302161/kevin-turen)</sup> |
| Family | Survived by his wife, actor Evelina Turen, and their two sons, Jack and James<sup>[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)</sup> |

## Early life and career start

Turen was born in New York City in 1979, and studied English and cinema at Columbia University before moving to Los Angeles.<sup>[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/302161/kevin-turen)</sup> He began his film-industry career at Capital Entertainment, which later became First Look Studios, where he served as a creative executive and president of production.<sup>[6](https://www.thewrap.com/euphoria-arbitrage-producer-kevin-turen-dead-dies-obit/)</sup> In that role he championed independent films of the 2000s, including [Larry Clark](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-clark)'s *[Wassup Rockers](https://www.edgepedia.org/wassup-rockers)* and [Gregg Araki](https://www.edgepedia.org/gregg-araki)'s *Smiley Face*, earning his first producing credits.<sup>[7](https://www.ghanamma.com/2023/11/22/filmmaker-michele-civetta-remembers-kevin-turen-his-friend-and-indie-maverick/)</sup>

In 2014 he became the head of Phantom Four, a production company started by screenwriter [David S. Goyer](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-s-goyer).<sup>[8](https://profillengkap.com/en/Kevin_Turen)</sup>

## Little Lamb Productions and television work

In 2018 Turen co-founded Little Lamb Productions with filmmaker [Sam Levinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-levinson) and Levinson's wife, Ashley Levinson.<sup>[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)</sup> The company produced *Euphoria*, the HBO drama starring Zendaya that won nine [Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/emmy-awards), and *The Idol*, which was widely panned by critics.<sup>[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)</sup> Turen was individually nominated for the 2022 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series as an executive producer of *Euphoria*.<sup>[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kevin-turen)</sup> His television credits also included the HBO miniseries *Irma Vep* (2022).<sup>[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/302161/kevin-turen)</sup>

## Film producing

Turen's feature work spanned independent drama and commercial genre film. At Infinity Media he produced Nick Jarecki's *Arbitrage* (2012), and the company also produced *All Is Lost* (2013), *99 Homes* (2014), and *[That Awkward Moment](https://www.edgepedia.org/that-awkward-moment)* (2014).<sup>[6](https://www.thewrap.com/euphoria-arbitrage-producer-kevin-turen-dead-dies-obit/)</sup> Other credits included *The Birth of a Nation* (2016), *Assassination Nation* (2018), *Tau* (2018), *Waves* (2019), and *[Malcolm & Marie](https://www.edgepedia.org/malcolm-and-marie)* (2021).<sup>[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/302161/kevin-turen)</sup>

With Little Lamb he produced *Pieces of a Woman* (2020), for which star [Vanessa Kirby](https://www.edgepedia.org/vanessa-kirby) received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.<sup>[6](https://www.thewrap.com/euphoria-arbitrage-producer-kevin-turen-dead-dies-obit/)</sup> He worked closely with filmmaker Ti West, producing the slasher-horror films *X* and *Pearl* in 2022, the first two parts of West's X trilogy starring [Mia Goth](https://www.edgepedia.org/mia-goth); the third film, *MaXXXine*, was released in 2024 after his death.<sup>[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)</sup> His final produced credit was *Hurry Up Tomorrow* (2025), a psychological thriller directed by [Trey Edward Shults](https://www.edgepedia.org/trey-edward-shults) and starring The Weeknd, Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan, on which Turen was one of the four credited producers.<sup>[9](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Hurry-Up-Tomorrow-%282025%29)</sup>

## Death

Turen died on November 12, 2023, at age 44. His father, Edward Turen, confirmed the death and said Kevin had suffered a medical emergency while driving his Tesla on a California freeway while returning from a tennis tournament with his 10-year-old son, Jack, who was able to bring the car to a stop at the roadside.<sup>[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-16/kevin-turen-euphoria-producer-medical-emergency-while-driving-tesla)</sup> The Los Angeles County medical examiner later listed acute cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophic heart disease as the official causes of death, with coronary artery atherosclerosis as a contributing condition.<sup>[3](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-12-02/kevin-turen-cause-of-death)</sup>

His death was confirmed publicly by his father and by Jay Penske, chief executive of Penske Media Corp. and a close friend, who said that despite Turen's achievements in Hollywood, his greatest passion was his family and friends.<sup>[1](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)</sup> The third season of *Euphoria* later included Turen in its tribute to people connected to the show who had died.<sup>[11](https://los40.com/2026/04/13/euphoria-rinde-homenaje-a-eric-dane-y-angus-cloud-en-el-estreno-de-su-tercera-temporada/)</sup>

## References

1. [Kevin Turen, producer on HBO's 'Euphoria' and 'The Idol,' dies at 44, Los Angeles Times (Nov. 13, 2023)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-13/kevin-turen-producer-on-hbos-euphoria-and-the-idol-dies-at-44)
2. [Kevin Turen, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1834530/)
3. ['Euphoria' producer Kevin Turen's cause of death revealed, Los Angeles Times (Dec. 2, 2023)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-12-02/kevin-turen-cause-of-death)
4. [Kevin Turen, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kevin-turen)
5. [Kevin Turen, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/302161/kevin-turen)
6. ['Euphoria' and 'Arbitrage' Producer Kevin Turen Dies at 44, TheWrap (Nov. 13, 2023)](https://www.thewrap.com/euphoria-arbitrage-producer-kevin-turen-dead-dies-obit/)
7. [Filmmaker Michele Civetta Remembers Kevin Turen, His Friend and Indie Maverick (Nov. 22, 2023)](https://www.ghanamma.com/2023/11/22/filmmaker-michele-civetta-remembers-kevin-turen-his-friend-and-indie-maverick/)
8. [Kevin Turen, profillengkap.com](https://profillengkap.com/en/Kevin_Turen)
9. [Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025), Box Office and Financial Information, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Hurry-Up-Tomorrow-%282025%29)
10. [Kevin Turen suffered medical emergency while driving, dad says, Los Angeles Times (Nov. 16, 2023)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-16/kevin-turen-euphoria-producer-medical-emergency-while-driving-tesla)
11. ['Euphoria' rinde homenaje a Eric Dane y Angus Cloud en el estreno de su tercera temporada, Los40 (2026)](https://los40.com/2026/04/13/euphoria-rinde-homenaje-a-eric-dane-y-angus-cloud-en-el-estreno-de-su-tercera-temporada/)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters › Film producers › American and Canadian film producers*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license
