Sydney Sweeney on Cassie, Clickbait, and Creative Control

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1:36Hello and welcome to Little Gold Men, Vanity Fair's podcast for film, TV, and awards lovers. I'm Rebecca Ford. My guest today is Sydney Sweeney. In the past few years, she's become a fixture on both the big and small screen. building a career that ranges from prestige TV to romantic comedies, thrillers, and indie films. And while plenty of people have spent that time debating who the real Sydney Sweeney is, she's been busy launching new business ventures, producing projects of her own, and taking more control over the stories she wants to tell. Sydney and I caught up last week, shortly after the Euphoria finale aired on HBO.

2:15We chatted about where Cassie's story ends, her experience filming the show's long-awaited final season, and how she navigates online discourse about herself. Let's dive in. I am so excited to be joined by Sydney Sweeney today. Sydney, thank you for doing this. Thank you for having me. I'm excited as well. So the Euphoria finale aired last week. I'm curious how you watched it. Did you sit around and watch it with friends, or how did you take that in?

2:42Sydney Sweeney:Gosh, what was I doing? I was actually flying back from New York that night, so I didn't get to watch it live with everybody. But once I got home, I sat on my couch and I watched it. And I mean, I was just as surprised as everybody else. Yeah, it must be so surreal to see it come all together since you're just, you know, part of the story. Everyone's stories were kind of spread out this time around. They really were. And what was interesting was we didn't get to see each other's storylines. So when we were given the script, we were only given our scenes. And so every single time we were in the trailer, we're like, wait, what are you doing today?

3:15Sydney Sweeney:And we would try to piece the story together. So I had no idea what was going to happen. Oh, wow. That's wild. So you didn't know about Rue and what was going to happen there? We all had an idea of it, but no one knew really for sure. Yeah. I, of course, knew what was going to happen to Jacob and Mom and Alexa, but didn't know exactly how the entire ending was going to come together. That's so wild. So after the second season wrapped, obviously everyone was very excited for this third season, and it took a minute to get there. But had you and Sam talked about what might happen to Cassie as she grew up?

3:51Like, did you have an idea about what her life would become after high school, even before that season had been written?

3:56Sydney Sweeney:He actually, as we were finishing up season two, started hinting at different ideas that he was putting together for season three. And it was very similar to how season one and season two, he would call me usually a few weeks after we wrapped. And he pitched me the entire idea. And so I knew years before we started filming season three that I would be married to Nate. we'd be living in a suburban neighborhood and Cassie would be crazier than ever. But I, of course, didn't know the specifics until they sent me the scripts. Oh my God, you had to keep that secret so long. I did. It was so hard to.

4:39Sydney Sweeney:And Jacob and I, of course, were super excited to be able to do it together again because we had so much fun. So we were looking forward to it. And how did you come to understand her sort of obsession to be famous through OnlyFans? Like, why did that feel right for her? I think from the very beginning, you can see that Cassie has this need to be loved. She has a need to be validated by other people. She doesn't know how to love herself unless someone else loves her. So I understand how Sam got her to where she was in season three. And I don't know if she truly was like, oh my gosh, of course she's so excited to be famous, but I think she was more excited by the idea of all these people loving her and feeling like her world isn't as small.

5:29And I read an interview with Sam where he said he had had conversations about you about how much nudity you'd need to do for this storyline and that you were like, we have to do it. It's OnlyFans. Like, it wouldn't make sense. Can you tell me what that was like?

5:41Sydney Sweeney:He sent me all the scripts, and it already had all of Cassie's scenes in it, the OnlyFans scenes. And he called me afterwards and he was talking about it. We were talking through it all. And he asked me how I felt about it. And I told him, look, I'm playing a character. Do I agree with all of Cassie's decisions? Would I personally make these choices? No, of course not. But I'm an actor and that's my job. And this is Cassie's life. And to be able to do her justice and play her how she's supposed to be played is to bring Sam's vision to life. and to play Cassie in the most vulnerable and insane way as possible.

6:26Was there anything that you felt like you really had to make yourself brave to shoot in those sort of all those scenes that are for like Cassie's OnlyFans content?

6:36Sydney Sweeney:Yes. I mean, everything Cassie does, I have to step out of myself and put on my big girl pants and play Cassie. because she does things that put me out of my comfort zone. And she makes decisions that I wouldn't make. But that's why I'm an actor and that's why I play Cassie, so I can bring her story to life. Was there anything in sort of the original ideas that you did say, I don't know if that feels right for Cassie because you do know this girl so well at this point? No, I mean, I do know Cassie so well, but also there was such a big time jump. There was five years in between. So Sam being the amazing creator that he is, I was like, these are his characters.

7:17Sydney Sweeney:They are different veins of who he is. So I did not know exactly everything he was going to put pen to paper. But usually Sam has his finger on the pulse of these characters. I love how ambitious this season was. I love the attack of the 50-foot woman homage that you got to do. Can you tell me about filming that? I understand it was like real sets, right? I'm pretty sure it took them like eight months or more to build these sets. I mean, everything was handmade. And there were little tiny figures inside the windows. There were mini cars. There were electric wires that they rigged so they could explode and spark.

8:00Sydney Sweeney:I mean, it was unbelievable seeing the craftsmanship that was put into building this set. And it felt old school. And we were shooting on film. So it just, I felt like I was in a real Hollywood film for a while. And I loved it. It was so crazy and so fantastical and obnoxiously wild. But it was beautiful and fitting for Cassie. There's this line in the finale that Cassie has about smiling that felt like Cassie season one and two just sort of like popping back up. She had a really nice smile. Who? Yeah. I think a smile says a lot about a person. When you smile, other people smile. It's contagious.

8:53Can you tell me about shooting that scene? Because I thought it was such a beautiful sort of ode to that character.

8:59Sydney Sweeney:It was a really bittersweet moment because I knew that these were going to be the last bits that we saw Cassie. And it was fitting. I mean, she truly does believe that whatever you put on the exterior is more important. And then the final image of her being trapped in the house, there was a moment in the scene, and I was like, Sam, what is it? Like, what's the shot going to be? And he described it to me, and I was like, that's it? We got to do more. And then we worked together, and it became the shot of her sitting on the bed and then pulling out, and you see Cassie trapped in her own creation, her own dollhouse.

9:38Sydney Sweeney:And of course, it's so hard to see the ending of a character, but I couldn't see a better ending than what was there. More with Sydney Sweeney after the break.

10:08Welcome back to Little Gold Men. So one of the things I love about this show is when the camera is just set on your face and you see Cassie going through all these emotions. The most famous example, of course, is the I've never been happier scene.

10:23Sydney Sweeney:Are you okay, Cass? No! Yes! Fuck it! I am in love with Nick Jacobs and he's in love with me. And you know, you fucking give me that look, Maddie, because I didn't fuck your boyfriend. You two were broken up for three weeks and three days before we even had sex. so I didn't betray you. Plus, you guys are terrible for each other and you know I'm right and you guys can all judge me if you want, but I do not care. I have never, ever been happier. But there's been many of those moments and there is one in the final episode and you're so great at that. What goes through your head in those moments when it's just you, it's just your face and you're having to kind of go through those emotions?

11:01Sydney Sweeney:I think what my character's thinking. It's this weird thing. So ever since I was younger and I started acting, I always put this rule on myself where I wasn't ever going to put my real emotions or thoughts or experiences into a character. Because when I'm in a scene to cry, I don't want to be thinking about my dog crying because that might be a complete different cry than me breaking up with my boyfriend. So I try to be just as present as I possibly can. And with Cassie, there's so much going through her head. and there's so much happening all around her, especially with season three. So I just sit there and I listen and I allow Cassie to feel whatever she's feeling in the moment.

11:46I read an interview with Otto Wale, who plays Alamo Brown on the show, and he said that the two of you had filmed some scenes that were ultimately cut. Can you tell me about those and if there were other scenes that didn't make the final cut that you loved doing?

11:59Sydney Sweeney:There were actually a bunch of scenes that didn't make the final cut. I think a lot of the actors, we all had different scenes that were filmed and didn't make it. And I mean, that happens, though, especially with a show where we film for eight to 10 months. And you can't put all of that into an hour long episode. So there were some really fun scenes between us where when Cassie goes to the strip club with Alexa or with Maddie, and they're doing the photo shoots. So there were way more photo shoots that we did, way more OnlyFans content that we did. And then Cassie starts to see the girls on stage and she gets really excited.

12:43Sydney Sweeney:She's like, wow, these girls are beautiful. Like I could do this. And she gets wasted and she goes up on the stage. She gets all dressed up and Cassie pole dances. I did lessons for pole dancing. Like everything. It was so much fun. It was crazy Cassie. Imagine crazy Cassie on a pole, which was hilarious. But man, these girls are strong. Incredible. Oh man, that has to be released as like bonus footage. You went through all that work. I know Sam called me, I don't know, maybe a couple of days before the episode that the scenes were supposed to be in. He was like, hey, it didn't make sense for the episode.

13:28Sydney Sweeney:I was like, totally get it. I was definitely disappointed. But he was saying, he was like, maybe we should release it as behind the scenes footage or deleted scenes. I was like, please do, because I put a lot of hard work into that. I hope it gets released. That's so funny. Well, now you have a new skill that you can take with you. I guess so. Cassie's an interesting one, that's for sure. I mean, it does sound like this might be the end of the road for Euphoria. Is it hard to let Cassie go? I mean, or are you someone that kind of just sheds a character when it's done? Well, every season, like Sam says, he's always shot it like it's the last.

14:04Sydney Sweeney:And I think we've all approached that in the same mentality. So I've always said goodbye to Cassie on the last day, as bittersweet as it is, because she's such a challenging role and she stretches me as an actor. and I love being able to be challenged and go to places that other characters may not go to. So it's definitely, it's a hard one because she's so fun to play, but I'm excited for what's next. Yeah. Is there anything about her that you feel like or your experience there you'll carry on to the next roles or the next projects you say yes to? I think as an actor, What I will probably carry into other things is how free it is to play someone like Cassie.

14:55Sydney Sweeney:Like when we would film Sam, we would do some takes and then Sam would be like, okay, Sid, let's do a crazy take. And I found this crazy version of Cassie that was so freeing as an actor where there were no rules, no idea what was going to come out. And it just changed the entire performance. And I want to be able to carry that freedom into other performances and other characters that I play. I'm curious, you know, there was a lot of reporting about the delay between seasons and the scripts had to be right is what I understand to be the issue. How do you deal with sort of the noise about cast drama or things like that that were also supposedly reported?

15:39Is that something you just don't pay attention to or just do you find it frustrating?

15:43Sydney Sweeney:Well, I mean, we all grew up together on this show. So it's honestly crazy to watch how much social media and the press spin things. I mean, I'm in first position. I was in first position to HBO. So the moment they say, hey, this is the first day of filming, I'm legally not allowed to do anything else. So my schedule doesn't affect the show. And so that was funny to watch everybody spin narratives on. But all of us were in first position, so it wasn't like any of our schedules were holding it up. Yeah, yeah. I think you, like, finished Housemaid and then went straight to Euphoria, right? I did.

16:21Sydney Sweeney:I had to have a hard-out on Housemaid to be able to get cleared to film Housemaid to then go to Euphoria. Oh, my gosh. So you made it work. Yeah, it made it work. And you recently announced your production company, Honey Trap, and I was reading that announcement, and it hinted that you might also want to direct. Is that something you're very much looking to do soon or just a dream for the future? I am. I am so interested in learning as much as I possibly can. I have loved producing. I've loved putting projects together. And I've loved learning about all different assets and areas in this industry behind and in front of the camera.

17:04Sydney Sweeney:So I think directing is something that I could be happily challenged by. You're a very busy producer. I mean, you have a lot on your plate already in that respect. Was it ever hard to get people to realize that you were going to be a real producer and not just like a, you know, a vanity title, as they used to call it? Oh, I still struggle with it. I think it's great when they're like, oh, yeah, a 28-year-old actress, sure, she wants to be a producer. And then they start to realize, oh, she's actually taking this really seriously. And she does way more than we thought. So it's just got to prove them wrong.

17:41And looking to the future, as a producer, is there another type of story or a real life person? Like what type of film, I guess, would you like to take on?

17:51Sydney Sweeney:I want to tell complicated stories. I tell stories that are, one, fun to watch and you can watch with your family and enjoy, but then also have characters that make you question things and are a little more complex. But I don't know what that is yet. I think that's what's so fun, especially finding new filmmakers or writers and seeing what they bring to the table. For you, is it a you-know-it-when-you-see-it kind of gut thing? Yeah. We just announced Hollow, which Lucky Chumpton and I are doing. And I read that script and I called my team and within 48 hours, the entire package was put together.

18:26Sydney Sweeney:Like I just read it and I knew and I was super excited. You know, it makes me wonder, like, is there someone's career who you'd most admire, emulate? I feel like because you're already pursuing so many different ways of being a storyteller. I'm curious who you sort of admire that's come before you. So I have two different viewpoints on it. One, I mean, I'm inspired by so many incredible women in this industry. But I've always had this thing where I say I look up to the 40-year-old version of myself. And when I'm 40, I want to look up to the 50-year-old version of myself. And I'm hoping that I am making decisions now that that version of who I am would be thinking and proud of.

19:12We're going to take another break. More with Sydney Sweeney when we come back.

19:32Welcome back to Little Gold Men. So, you've played such a wide range of characters. Which do you feel is the closest to the real Sydney Sweeney? I know you said you don't bring your own stuff into your work, but who do you feel of all these characters is closest to you? Oh, gosh.

19:50Sydney Sweeney:I don't think any of them are. I think this was so fun. I think everybody thinks they have me figured out, but they have no clue who I actually am. And that's what's fun about acting. That's why I love acting. The whole point of acting is being able to play all these different characters. Yeah. It wouldn't be fun playing myself. It is interesting you say that because I feel like with you, people really want to figure you out in a way that maybe not other actors, but I feel like a lot of narratives are put on you in a way I don't see happen with everyone. And I'm curious, how online are you? Like, I mean, I know you have social media, but how do you handle with all those narratives out there?

20:33Sydney Sweeney:I post and then you can look one way. I also, I didn't grow up on in social media or electronics. I grew up on a lake outside. My parents didn't want me on a phone. And so I love putting my phone away. And I'm just hanging out with my friends, my dog. I play outside. And when I have to be on my phone for work, I'm on my phone. Has there ever been like a narrative you've wanted to correct? Or is it even worth doing that as an actor? Like, is it better just to let the stories play out and not correct anything yourself? I think what's really hard is me being able to speak. I am spoken for through journalists.

21:19Sydney Sweeney:So whatever I say now will be rewritten. And this is a podcast, so it'll just be. The thing is, people like headlines. And not everybody reads an article. Not everyone listens to a podcast. They want the easy clickbait and whatever's the most digestible, most interesting. And that's all they see. And that's what they run with. And then all of a sudden, crazy things just spin from it. And at this point, I think it would be so tiring having to correct everything and everyone. And I am so happy with my life and my co-workers and the characters that I get to play. And that's what's important. And the people who are in my innermost circle, my family, they truly know who I am.