The moment Sydney Sweeney knew she wanted to be an actor
Before appearing in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Sydney Sweeney came to the public’s attention after performing in the TV shows, The Handmaid’s Tale and Everything Sucks. Since then, the Washington-born actress has earned critical acclaim for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus, quickly becoming one of the darlings of the industry.
While featuring on Deadline’s 20 Questions podcast, Sweeney was asked about the moment she knew she wanted to become an actor. However, she was initially reluctant to circle in on a specific instant when her desire to be on the silver screen became clearer. She said: “I don’t want to sound cheesy and say that I think I was born and that I always wanted to do it, [and that] it always felt like that.”
“But I can’t pinpoint a moment where I thought anything else,” she added. “But there was this funny school project in third grade where we had to choose our occupation and learn how to budget and live and do taxes.” Not the kind of school experience many of us have, certainly not learning how to do taxes, but rather focusing on arbitrary long division.
Sweeney admits that she “went to an amazing school [where] everything was very hands-on”. The actor continued to tell how the project inspired her early desire to act. “I remember sitting there, and I could not choose one job; I could not think of one thing that I wanted to be for the rest of my life because I wanted to live as many lives and have as many experiences and meet as many people as possible,” she said.
The notion of wanting to live as many lives as possible and experience all that life has to offer is most likely what turned Sweeney onto acting, as through the profession, one is able to live many lives at once. It’s also a common feeling that most actors share. “I wanted to try them all out, and I think that was a big turning point in knowing that I wasn’t just going to be able to sit still,” she admitted.
As for an inspirational figure in her life, Sweeney noted: “I think we’re all inspired by that good old saying ‘Success is the best revenge’,” but stopped short of calling out someone who she wanted to get revenge on. “I mean, there are always people that you’ll cross paths with that say no or want to tear you down,” she added.
However, she then claimed that she always looks out for number one and uses that as a primary motivator in her life and career. “My biggest inspiration has always been my future self,” she said, “When I was ten, it was me a thirty. When it’s me now, it’s me at thirty. I’m always inspired by who I hope and aspire to become.”
