Sydney Sweeney opens up about industry struggles: “Women give me the hardest time”
Actor Sydney Sweeney has opened up about her difficulties in the film industry, revealing that she often faces discrimination during casting and in her own production company.
In a tell-all interview with The Times, the White Lotus star revealed that she must constantly impress to be successful in the industry. “I have to prove myself as a young woman, as an actor, as a businessperson — all of it,” she stated.
This difficulty stemmed from the sexualised nature of Sweeney’s breakout role as Cassie in the popular US drama Euphoria, alongside global sensation Zendaya. The final addition to the Euphoria series has had several setbacks, but it is set for release in 2026 and is currently in production.
Cassie’s character had a real impact on her casting experience. “I see it all the time where they don’t think I am right for [a role] because they watched Cassie in Euphoria. Especially because Cassie was such a sexualised character — that puts a wall up for people,” she said. “I feel like I’m constantly having to be like, no, no, I’m an actor, I’m supposed to be different characters.”
Sweeney also founded a production company in 2020, Fifty-fifty Films. In the interview, she revealed that she must actively dismantle assumptions in her office. “I have to be like, I want to be in the room, I want to sit in every single meeting and want to be involved in every decision, I want to be taken seriously as a producer.”
She continued, “I’m very direct, I’m very blunt. To be honest, actually, I always find that it’s the women who give me the hardest time.”
Sweeney is lined up for many exciting projects in the year ahead. She is teaming up with Wicked director Jon M Chu for an adaptation of the beloved game ‘Split Fiction’. Sweeney will also star in a movie based on an English teacher’s viral Reddit post. The Anyone But You star is additionally lined up for a Gundam movie.
Recently, the star also announced that she was releasing a soap made, in part, with her bathwater. She announced the news on Instagram, writing: “You kept asking about my bathwater after the @drsquatch ad… so we kept it. Introducing Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss! A very real, very limited-edition soap made with my actual bathwater.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.