Asked about the most commonly accepted error about her, Sydney Sweeney burst out laughing. “I don’t know, there are so many! That would take the whole article. » Last spring, responsible for the famous introductory monologue of the Saturday Night Liveshe did not hesitate to laugh at the dismal failure of her superhero film, Madame Web, of the controversy surrounding his mother, who allegedly organized her 60th birthday around a MAGA theme [pour Make America Great Again, slogan de la campagne Trump]and even rumors of an affair between Glen Powellhis partner in Everything except youand her. From North Carolina, where she is currently filming the biopic of the boxer Christy Martinshe insists: “I hope people realize how ridiculous all these headlines are, I mean, we know how that works. We have a conversation, we talk for thirty minutes, then it's all cut and reshuffled, people no longer have access to the context of the comments made, and it becomes very hyped clickbait. Unfortunately I no longer have any control over my image, my image is in the hands of you, the journalists. »
The actress has been struggling with this reality for years now. Sydney Sweeney's name has been on everyone's lips since her roles in two prestigious HBO creations, Euphoria et The White Lotus. In 2022, she was nominated for Emmy Awards for both series, and it was in the process that she launched her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films.
Season 3 ofEuphoria having been rejected, she took the opportunity to produce Everything except you (a hit that grossed more than $220 million worldwide), and saved Immaculate, little independent horror film for which she had auditioned ten years earlier, from the limbo of development hell. Soon, we will see her as the prim wife of a German farmer in Eden of Ron Howard ; facing Julianne Moore In Echo Valley, the new thriller from the creator of Mare of Easttown ; and – in the longer term – in a remake of Barbarella of 1968, for which she hopes to collaborate with Jane Fonda, despite skepticism from the original film's star. “I can't wait for her to be part of the process, I really hope so,” insists Sydney. We have already decided on screenwriters, and we thought about it a lot. »
We are delighted to have Sydney Sweeney as a guest in our special Hollywood 2025 issue. Here are some excerpts from our conversation.
Vanity Fair: The year 2024 marked your debut as a producer. Has this new autonomy in your work taught you anything?
Sydney Sweeney: I love having a say in creative decisions that can benefit the project, whether it's character, budget or schedule, anything I can do to move a project forward. I love being involved in brainstorming, problem solving, all of that, it's like a puzzle, you're constantly putting moving pieces together.
Everything except you became a huge success after a lackluster release weekend, largely thanks to word of mouth.
It’s really thanks to the fans. I think it's great. Nothing was imposed on the public. People fell in love with the film and they spread the word about it. I love the idea that the promotion came from them.
Tank Top RLT, riding pants Hermes, riding boots Ariat, belt Artemas Quibble.Photography Gordon von Steiner, styling George Cortina
You and Glen Powell admitted to playing the speculation game around your relationship for marketing purposes. It obviously paid off, but would you have recognized it if the film hadn't been such a success?
Once the film started to work, it became the sole subject of a lot of interviews we gave, there were only questions about it. I wouldn't say that we really planned to implement this strategy, nor to talk about it. But let's say that we were asked very precise, very specific questions, and when you refuse a question, you come across as a bitch, so… [Rires.]
You and Glen have made it known that you would like to work together again, is that still on the table?
We support each other in our careers. We watch our respective films and discuss them, or if one of us is hesitating between two projects, we call each other to ask each other for advice. I saw him again last week and we talked about some leads, so, yes, we have a very good working relationship. We would love to work together on something again.
In Immaculate et Edenyou are treated to some rather traumatic childbirth scenes. Have they affected your view of motherhood?
Let's just say I really hope giving birth isn't as crazy as these two experiences. I tell myself that maybe I will be a little more prepared, but I doubt it. I think this is going to drive me completely crazy. I mean, as individuals, women are the strongest. It’s absolutely incredible what we endure. We are so strong. I am simultaneously amazed, passionate and terrified by it all.
In Eden, your partner, Jude Law, has nude scenes. You've already done it yourself. Do you feel that on-screen nudity is perceived differently for actors than it is for actresses?
People haven't seen the film yet, so I'm not sure yet how they will perceive it. I know I applauded. I am always in favor of nudity, of sex scenes, if they serve the story and the character. For the character of Jude, it's very courageous of him, I wanted to applaud that. Whether it's men or women, if it's for the character, it's for the character, we're there to tell a story.
