Sydney Sweeney has built her career balancing two dramatically different personas. To her 25 million Instagram followers, she’s the epitome of Hollywood glamour. But on screen, the 27-year-old frequently sheds that image, diving headfirst into complex and often unflattering roles. Best known for her portrayal of Cassie in HBO’s Euphoria, Sweeney is revisiting the breakout character in the series’ long-anticipated third season. In a conversation during a brief break from filming, Sweeney reflected on her acting choices, her love for raw storytelling, and how she navigates a career constantly shifting between spotlight and substance.
Cassie and the Euphoria Effect
Sweeney became a household name thanks to Euphoria, where her character Cassie is messy, emotional, and often tragic. “Cassie makes so many mistakes,” Sweeney said in an interview with Empire. “She’s flawed on so many levels, but she does it all from a place of love.” Her emotionally charged bathroom meltdown in the show became an instant meme, cementing her as a face of the internet generation.
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Returning to the role after three years, Sweeney describes Cassie as “crazy” but beloved. “This season is unhinged,” she added, laughing. Despite the intensity of her character, Sweeney maintains a healthy separation between herself and her roles. She credits acting coach Andy Smit-McPhee for teaching her not to draw from personal trauma. “It allows me to live a balanced life and protect my mental health,” she said.
Beyond Euphoria: A Darker Filmography
Cassie may be her most well-known character, but Sweeney’s resume is filled with emotionally demanding roles. She played a psychiatric patient in Sharp Objects, a Manson follower in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and whistleblower Reality Winner in Reality — a performance that required her to memorize real interrogation transcripts.
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“Reality terrified me,” she admitted. “Usually when something scares me, I know I have to go after it.”
In Echo Valley, Sweeney stars opposite Julianne Moore as Claire, a recovering addict with a troubled past. “I just let whatever happens with the character happen,” she said of her performance style. “I never know what’s going to come out.”
“I thrive in chaos. I love working. I love having to juggle multiple things at the same time. I don’t really sleep much, but I do best when I don’t sleep much”
— Sydney Sweeney for Empire Magazine. pic.twitter.com/AvQiDxSc3j
— Sydney Sweeney Daily (@sweeneydailyx) May 8, 2025
Sweeney is drawn to roles that demand full immersion and emotional intensity. “I love the stuff that’s extremely far from who I am,” she explained. “There are two extreme versions of the characters I play: the glossy or the crazy.”
Her Turn as a Producer
Outside of acting, Sweeney has stepped behind the camera. She launched her production company, Fifty-Fifty Films, and successfully brought the horror film Immaculate to life after discovering it at 16. “I never stopped thinking about it,” she said. “I wanted to see if I could bring it to life.”
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She also produced Anyone But You, a romcom that defied critical expectations to become a box office hit. “There are movies you do for critics and movies for the audience,” she said. “Reality is for the critics. Anyone But You is for the audience.”
Her production slate continues to grow with projects like the boxing biopic Christy Martin, the thriller The Housemaid, and Scandalous!, a drama about Sammy Davis Jr. and Kim Novak, directed by Colman Domingo.
Finding Balance in Chaos
Despite juggling acting, producing, and high-profile campaigns, Sweeney thrives on a packed schedule. “I don’t really sleep much, but I do best when I don’t sleep much,” she joked. She’s aware of how her glamorous public persona might clash with her gritty acting roles, but that contrast doesn’t faze her.
“Everyone just thinks of Cassie,” she said. “But if you look at all the other projects I’ve done, none of them are like Cassie.”
Sweeney continues to defy expectations with each new project, always seeking roles that challenge her both emotionally and creatively. Whether she’s playing a romantic lead or covered in blood in a horror film, her goal remains the same: to prove people wrong and keep them guessing.
when you realize all of this could’ve been avoided if cassie had just shut the fuck up #euphoria pic.twitter.com/AwfhYNVTpd
— keedy ⋆｡˚ (@krasinskihaze) February 7, 2022
MADDY TO THE RESCUE, SHE ATE CASSIE UP IN THE EUPHORIA SEASON FINALE pic.twitter.com/3yyyquCKvN
— Mehmet Witch ᱬ (@WeBeenCroft) February 28, 2022
cassie was at her lowest. broke nasty and pathetic #Euphoria pic.twitter.com/aZ7niG9WFH
— َ (@ungodlywests) January 24, 2022
