Sydney Sweeney made quite an impression on viewers in her role as Cassie on the hit HBO drama Euphoria, but some members of her family were uncomfortable seeing her on screen when the show first started.
The actress, who stars in the new drama Reality, about former NSA contractor Reality Winner, said her father and grandfather were unwilling to see her in her role as a teenager struggling with issues of sex, drugs and violence in a sample clip from Sunday Today with Willie Geist.
“My mom visited me on set at the time, so she liked to know the story and I talked to her about it a lot – my dad didn’t,” says the 25-year-old actress. “I didn’t prepare my father at all.”
The Emmy-nominated actress explained, “When I talk to my dad, it’s usually not about work, we talk about father-daughter conversations.”
None of those conversations apparently contained the facts of life about the characters in the often risqué drama.
Unprepared: Sydney Sweeney revealed that her father and grandfather were unprepared for her role as sexualized teen Cassie in Eurphoria when the show started. “My dad and my grandpa turned it off and walked out,” she said
“So he watched it, without telling me, with his parents.”
After the first episode started, the men felt quite uncomfortable seeing the young actress in uncertain scenarios.
“My dad and my grandpa turned it off and walked out,” she said.
But one family member watched to the bitter end.
“My grandmother … she’s a big supporter of mine.”
“Actually,” the White Lotus actress continued, “I usually take her all over the world to my various sets and make her an extra.”
She explained why she was drawn to the role, saying “I think I tend to drift towards characters who can read one direction on a page, and I like finding layers to that character .”
“I think a lot of people could have looked at Cassie like, on the show, a lot of people sexualize her, they look at her as a way.”
Interview: Sydney made the revelation during a Sunday Today interview with Willie Geist
Support: The actress said that her mother had already visited her on set and knew about the subject. Her grandmother continued to watch after the men left. “My grandmother… she’s a big supporter of mine,” she explained
Layers: Sydney said she was attracted to the role of Cassie, explaining, “Finding the layers and justice, the emotional depth of who she is and why she is, how she acts or how she thinks, she’s a beautiful broken character
Culture: When speaking about how the show resonates with today’s teens, Sydney gave another example from her family. “My brother, when he was just a freshman and sophomore in college, they used to throw Euphoria parties in college. He was like, “I can’t escape it”‘
“Finding the layers and rightness, the emotional depth of who she is and why she is, how she acts or how she thinks, she’s a beautiful, broken character.”
Euphoria has been renewed for a third season, and the Spokane, Washington resident said Cassie will be up to more of her antics.
“I love playing Cassie because last season she was so crazy.”
“As an actor, it’s so much fun to just stretch your legs and go crazy and make all these crazy choices, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what Cassie does in season three.”
When speaking about how the show resonates with today’s teens, Sydney gave another example from her family.
“My brother, when he was just a freshman and sophomore in college, they used to throw Euphoria parties in college. He was like, “I can’t escape it.”‘