Sydney Sweeney made a big impression on viewers in her role as Cassie on the hit HBO drama Euphoria, but some of her family members were uncomfortable watching her onscreen when the show started.
The actress, who stars in new drama Reality, about former NSA contractor Reality Winner, said her father and grandfather weren’t ready to see her in her role as a struggling teenager. issues such as sex, drugs and violence in a excerpt preview from Sunday Today with Willie Geist.
“My mom visited me on set at the time, so she knew the story and I talked to her a lot about it — not my dad,” the 25-year-old actress said. “I didn’t prepare my father at all.”
The Emmy-nominated actress explained that “When I talk to my dad, it’s usually not about work, we talk about, like, father-daughter conversations.”
None of those conversations apparently included the facts of life about the characters in the often-risky drama.
Unprepared: Sydney Sweeney has revealed that her father and grandfather were unprepared for her role as sexualized teenager Cassie on Eurphoria when the show started. “My dad and my grandfather turned it off and went out,” she said.
‘So he watched it, without telling me, with his parents.
After the start of the first episode, men were quite uncomfortable seeing the young actress in precarious scenarios.
“My dad and grandpa turned it off and went out,” she said.
But one family member watched until the bitter end.
“My grandmother…she’s a big fan of mine.”
“Actually,” the White Lotus actress continued, “I usually take her all over the world on my various sets and make her an extra.”
Explaining why she was drawn to the role, she said, “I think I tend to drift towards characters that could read one way 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 in a way.”
Interview: Sydney made the revelation during a Sunday interview today with Willie Geist
Support: The actress said her mom visited her on set before and knew about it. Her grandmother continued to watch after the men left. “My grandma…she’s a huge supporter of me,” she explained
Layers: Sydney said she was drawn to the role of Cassie, explaining: “Finding the layers and just, the emotional depth of who she is and why she is, how she acts or how she thinks, it’s a beautiful broken character”
Culture: Talking about how the show resonates with today’s teenagers, Sydney gave another example of her family. “My brother, when he was like a freshman and sophomore in college, they had Euphoria college themed parties. He was like, “I can’t escape it”‘
“Finding the layers and just, 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 native said Cassie would be up for more antics.
“I love playing Cassie, because last season she was so crazy.”
“As an actor, it’s so much fun to 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 talking about how the show resonates with today’s teens, Sydney gave another example from her family.
“My brother, when he was like a freshman and sophomore in college, they had Euphoria college themed parties. He was like, “I can’t get away from it.” ‘
