by Sydney Sweeney R-rated scenes in Euphoria
Sydney Sweeney has never shied away from pushing boundaries.
From her breakout role as Cassie Howard in HBO’s Euphoria to scene-stealing turns in The White Lotus and rom-com hit Anyone But You, Sweeney has become one of Hollywood’s most talked-about stars
But with fame has come a fair share of misunderstanding, especially around the sexually explicit scenes that have become part of her on-screen identity.
In a resurfaced interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sweeney, now 27, spoke openly about how audiences sometimes conflate her on-screen nudity with her off-screen persona.
“People forget that I’m playing a character, they think, ‘Oh, she gets naked onscreen, she’s a sex symbol’ and I can’t get past that,” she explained, venting a frustration many actors in similar roles share.
Sweeney clarified that while she’s comfortable with nudity in her work, she wishes audiences would approach it more nuanced.
She said, “I have no problems with those scenes, and I won’t stop doing them, but I wish there was an easier way to have an open conversation about what we’re assuming about actors in the industry.”
Behind the scenes, though, things are much more technical than many might expect.
In a Variety chat with Christina Ricci, Sweeney revealed the meticulous care taken on set to ensure actors feel safe during intimate moments.
“We choreograph the whole thing. Sometimes there’s yoga mats that you can put in between each other,” she said, adding that consent is an ongoing conversation throughout filming.
She added, “Even if you have agreed to something, they ask you on the spot on the day, ‘Did you change your mind? Because you can.’ It’s really nice. I’ve never felt uncomfortable.”
Far from leaving her feeling exposed, Sweeney credits her role in Euphoria with transforming how she views herself.
She shared, “I have weirdly become very confident with my body through Cassie.”
With Euphoria’s long-awaited third season currently in production, Sweeney is set to return alongside Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, and Alexa Demie.
