“I felt so stupid”: the actor Sydney Sweeney was a “nervous wreck” to meet
It seems as though Sydney Sweeney’s career is only on the up, having starred in a string of highly talked-about movies and television shows over the past few years. Her breakout role came in 2019 when she appeared in Euphoria, one of the most controversial teen-oriented shows of the 21st century.
Playing Cassie Howard, Sweeney found acclaim for her complex portrayal of a student with serious abandonment issues, causing her to act in often questionable and emotionally charged ways. Some of the series’ most unforgettable moments belong to Cassie, whether she was provocatively riding a carousel – making many viewers cringingly recoil – or throwing up in a hot tub.
Love it or hate it, Euphoria is one of HBO’s most popular shows – but it’s not the only one Sweeney has starred in. She also appeared in the network’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects and the dark comedy series White Lotus. While establishing her talents through many prominent television roles, the past year has seen Sweeney take on more film roles, ranging from leading parts in movies like Anyone But You, Reality and Immaculate.
Yet, before she secured these significant roles, she appeared in various supporting or small parts, with the most prominent being Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. The movie remains the most critically acclaimed film Sweeney has starred in, although she only had a minor role as one of the Manson Family members.
Tarantino cast her as Dianne Lake, also known as Snake, the youngest member of the Manson Family. At just 14, Lake joined the cult and was quickly taken advantage of, although she did not commit any of the murders that made the Family so infamous. Sweeney only appeared in a few scenes, but she was still able to meet one of the movie’s leading actors – Leonardo DiCaprio.
As one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, having appeared in countless acclaimed movies since he was young, Sweeney was naturally scared to meet him, describing herself as a ”nervous wreck”.
Talking to Chicks in the Office, she revealed, “I was freaking out because I felt so stupid. Because in so many interviews, I was like, ‘I love Leonardo DiCaprio.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, I hope he’s never seen anything that I’ve said.’” She wanted DiCaprio to see her as a respectable actor and not just a superfan of his work, admitting that she was “embarrassed” to meet him in case he somehow knew how much she admired him.
“I was like, ‘Oh my god, I feel so embarrassed right now, but I doubt he even knows who I am,’” she added. In the end, Sweeney didn’t embarrass herself in front of one of her favourite actors, and she ended up loving her experience of working on the movie, describing the set in the same interview as feeling “so real”.
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood ended up receiving praise from critics and audiences, with Tarantino’s ability to depict such a specific and bygone era of Hollywood being particularly heralded.
Watch a clip of Sweeney in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood below.
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