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Sydney Sweeney started her acting career in 2009, making her television debut with a minor role as a little girl in an episode of the series "Heroes." Her first film credit came one year later, in 2010, with the horror comedy "ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction," where she played the character Lisa. During the years between 2009 and 2019, Sweeney appeared in a wide range of small roles across television and film, including supporting parts in shows like "90210," "Criminal Minds," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Pretty Little Liars." She also took on roles in web series like "In the Vault" and had several appearances in music videos, such as Halsey’s “Graveyard” in 2019.
In 2018, Sweeney gained early recognition for two important roles: she starred as Emaline Addario in the Netflix series "Everything Sucks!," which followed Oregon high school students in 1996, and she portrayed Alice in the HBO miniseries "Sharp Objects." On "Sharp Objects," her character was originally intended as a smaller part, but the director kept bringing her back for more scenes, and Sweeney deepened her portrayal by researching the experiences of girls with mental illness and visiting hospitals for people who self-harmed.
That same year, Sweeney played Eden Spencer in the second season of "The Handmaid’s Tale," a recurring role as a deeply religious, obedient girl in the dystopian setting of Gilead. She also appeared in the films "Under the Silver Lake" and "Along Came the Devil," the latter casting her as the lead. By 2019, she had roles in three more films, including the drama "Clementine," the coming-of-age movie "Big Time Adolescence," and Quentin Tarantino’s "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," where she played Dianne "Snake" Lake, a supporting part among an ensemble cast.
June 2019 marked a turning point as Sweeney took on the role of Cassie Howard in HBO’s drama series "Euphoria." This show became the network’s second most-watched series, propelling Sweeney into mainstream recognition. Her performance as Cassie, a teenager grappling with a complicated reputation and her own vulnerabilities, was widely praised by critics. Variety described her as “one hell of a shapeshifter” due to her ability to pivot between roles as different as those in "The Handmaid’s Tale," "Everything Sucks!," and "Sharp Objects." In 2022, her work in "Euphoria" earned her a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
The show also generated significant attention for its bold choices around nudity and the depiction of the “male gaze,” putting Sweeney at the center of ongoing debates about representation and consent in television. One specific moment that drew media scrutiny involved a line Sweeney delivered on "Euphoria" that shocked internet personality Trisha Paytas during a reaction video, as reported by Yahoo.
In 2020, Sweeney established Fifty-Fifty Films, her own production company, signaling a desire to take greater control of her projects. That year, she starred in the television movie "Nocturne" and played Persephone in a live-action ad for the Webtoon comic "Lore Olympus." In 2021, Sweeney was cast in the first season of "The White Lotus," an HBO anthology from Mike White, playing Olivia Mossbacher, a sardonic college student. Her performance earned another Primetime Emmy nomination in 2022, this time for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Between 2019 and 2023, Sweeney’s profile continued to grow as she took on diverse projects. She starred as Reality Winner, a US Air Force veteran and whistleblower, in the 2023 film "Reality," which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. IndieWire’s Steph Green called the film “extraordinarily tense” and described Sweeney as “the real deal.” The same year, she co-starred with Glen Powell in the romantic comedy "Anyone but You," which became a sleeper hit, earning over $220 million worldwide. This film also marked Sweeney’s turn as an executive producer, where she played a key role in hiring both her co-star and the director Will Gluck, as well as contributing to the script.
Sweeney expanded her reach with high-profile partnerships and endorsements. In January 2023, she became a brand ambassador for Armani Beauty and Laneige. She also worked with brands like Miu Miu, Samsung, Ford, Baskin-Robbins, Cotton On, and Guess. In May 2025, a campaign with Dr. Squatch saw her launch a limited-edition soap line that quickly went viral for containing her bathwater. Sweeney’s relationship with American Eagle Outfitters began in July 2025, headlining an ad campaign titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans." The campaign sparked backlash on social media, with some critics interpreting the wordplay on “jeans” and “genes” as a nod to eugenics and white supremacy due to Sweeney’s appearance. The controversy drew comments from the Trump administration, but analysts interviewed by CNN in August 2025 said it did not damage her popularity, and American Eagle ultimately praised the campaign’s results.
She returned to American Eagle in April 2026 with a new campaign called "Syd For Short." Sweeney has also promoted her own lingerie brand, Syrn, including a January 2026 stunt where she draped bras across the Hollywood sign as a publicity move.
Recognition from the film and television industry followed Sweeney’s breakout. In 2019, she was part of the nominated ensemble for "The Handmaid’s Tale" at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. For her performance in "Euphoria," she received nominations at the 2022 Astra TV Awards and the 2022 Dorian Awards. At the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards, she won Best Fight alongside Alexa Demie. In 2024, she was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for "Reality," and for the People’s Choice Award as Comedy Movie Star of the Year for "Anyone but You." Her portrayal of Christy Martin in the 2025 biopic "Christy" earned her the Virtuoso Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and a nomination for Astra Film Awards' Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
By 2024, Sweeney had solidified her standing as an in-demand actress with a steady flow of film and television projects. That year, she appeared in the superhero film "Madame Web," part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, and produced and starred in the psychological horror "Immaculate." She also co-starred in the survival drama "Eden," directed by Ron Howard, and played Claire Garrett in "Echo Valley" alongside Julianne Moore, learning to ride horses for the role. In December 2025, she appeared opposite Amanda Seyfried in "The Housemaid," an adaptation of a bestselling novel that performed well at the box office, leading to a sequel in development.
Sweeney's future slate includes "The Custom of the Country," directed by Josie Rourke, and a lead in the live-action adaptation of "Gundam" with Noah Centineo. She is also set to return as Millie in "The Housemaid’s Secret" with Kirsten Dunst and to portray Kim Novak in "Scandalous," a romantic drama directed by Colman Domingo. In April 2026, she reprised her role as Cassie in the third season of "Euphoria" on HBO.