Sydney Sweeney recalls being told 'no boy would ever love' her if she has cuts, scars on her body
Sydney Sweeney’s star is on a meteoric rise.
In the last few years, the Euphoria star has had a string of successful projects — including Everything Sucks!, The Voyeurs, and HBO’s hit The White Lotus.
She’s even won the hearts of fans with her viral TikTok videos showcasing her auto-mechanic skills — not to mention the fact that Euphoria fans have set social media ablaze with memorable memes and supportive messages.
But in a new interview for British GQ, the actress revealed that despite her bustling success, some Hollywood casting directors didn't know what to do with her when she first started.
“A casting director told me once that I will never be on a TV show,” Sweeney said, adding that she apparently didn’t have the "right look." Now, she said, "I'm on some of the biggest TV shows in the world."
The actress also recalled a concerned mother advising her that Sweeney would never find love with the cuts and bruises she had on her body from her active lifestyle, which includes MMA fighting.
“I’m a very active person,” she said. “I get hurt. I get bruises. I get cuts. I think I came back from laser tag, and I had rug burns all over my legs because I got really into it. And she sat me up on the counter and told me that no boy will ever love me if I have marks on my body.”
“I told her, well, I guess I'm just gonna have to love myself,” she added.
Of course, Sweeney is no stranger to preaching self-love and, more importantly, self respect.
In January, Sweeney opened up to The Independent about the double standards women face when it comes to nude scenes — something she has experienced in both Euphoria and The Voyeurs.
“This is something that has bothered me for a while,” she said at the time. “I’m very proud of my work in Euphoria. I thought it was a great performance. But no one talks about it because I got naked.”
“I do The White Lotus and all of a sudden critics are paying attention. People are loving me. They’re going, ‘Oh my God, what’s she doing next?’ I was like, ‘Did you not see that in Euphoria?” she added. “When a guy has a sex scene or shows his body, he still wins awards and gets praise. But the moment a girl does it, it’s completely different.”
“I’ve never felt like [creator] Sam [Levinson] has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show," Sweeney was quick to point out. "There are moments where [my character] Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here.’ He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it.'”
She raised the point again with Cosmopolitan earlier this month, explaining that she's so "disconnected" from nude scenes at this point in her career.
"When you film one of these scenes, it is so technical and so not romantic," she said. "There are people staring at you, there's pads between you, there's nipple covers and weird sticker thongs all up in your butt."
Still, the actress admitted to having a bit of anxiety over it all.
“I researched celebrities who have done nude scenes, trying to make myself feel better," she said. "There are hour-long compilations of world-famous male actors with nude scenes who win Oscars and get praised for that work. But the moment a woman does it, it degrades them. They’re not actresses. They just take off their tops so they can get a role. There’s such a double standard and I really hope I can have a little part in changing that.”
Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Life’s newsletter.