Sydney Sweeney hit major strides during the second season of Euphoria and due to her role in the HBO limited series White Lotus. Sweeney has played Cassie Howard since Euphoria’s first season, but her material was elevated in season two, resulting in the actress receiving an Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Sweeney also scored a nomination for her role on White Lotus but perceived risque choices have also shaped her career. Her roles, particularly on Euphoria, have seen the actress not being too shy about on-screen nudity, and now she’s talking about why she “won’t stop” doing nude scenes and how she can’t financially afford to take a 6-month break from work.
During a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Sweeney reflected on her stellar rise in two successful series and the pressures of being perceived as a sex symbol. Fans of Euphoria have praised Sweeney’s portrayal of high schooler Cassie Howard but some of her cast mates in past have criticized creator Sam Levinson for how he handles the series’ nude scenes. Sweeney has spoken on this before, crediting the scenes for helping her to “become very confident” with her body, but the 24-year-old elaborated further with The Hollywood Reporter by saying she fully trusts “the filmmakers that I work with, and I’m always excited for whatever Sam writes.” The actress said the nude scenes are easier because “it’s as if it’s someone else’s life” whenever she’s working. This allows her to focus on the story rather than worrying about being naked in front of the cast and crew.
“People forget that I’m playing a character. They think, ‘Oh, she gets naked onscreen, she’s a sex symbol.’ And I can’t get past that. I have no problems with those scenes, and I won’t stop doing them, but I wish there was an easier way to have an open conversation about what we’re assuming about actors in the industry.”
In another interesting moment during the interview, Sweeney addressed the financial insecurity she still feels, despite being on a successful show, and how it relates to her dreams of being a mom. The actress and her family moved from Washington state to Los Angeles when she was 13 to support her Hollywood dreams, and she admits that to afford her lifestyle in LA while thinking of raising a family, she can’t afford to take six months off of work:
“I want to have a family, I’ve always wanted to be a young mom, and I’m worried about how this industry puts stigmas on young women who have children and looks at them in a different light. I was worried that, if I don’t work, there is no money and no support for kids I would have.”
Because of this level of anxiety, the actress has developed a very rigid work schedule. On top of acting, Sweeney frequently lands brand deals and endorsements to ensure she’s financially secure enough to take care of her future family, even if it burns her out.
“If I wanted to take a six-month break, I don’t have income to cover that. I don’t have someone supporting me, I don’t have anyone I can turn to, to pay my bills or call for help. If I just acted, I wouldn’t be able to afford my life in L.A. I take deals because I have to. They don’t pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals. The established stars still get paid, but I have to give 5 percent to my lawyer, 10 percent to my agents, 3 percent or something like that to my business manager. I have to pay my publicist every month, and that’s more than my mortgage.”
I feel like the affording the cost of living in LA comments might lead to some “first world problems” complaints from the masses, but I kind of see her point. I don’t think she’s complaining about her circumstances, she’s just explaining what the reality is for her, and if that makes her want to push herself to work harder, that’s completely on her, and I respect that. From what I can see, she bucks traditional Hollywood norms that most women her age engage in, and she cares a lot about the work. It seems like she rather work as if she might lose this all one day rather than rest on her laurels.
What are YOUR thoughts on Sydney Sweeney’s opinion about her burgeoning career?