Sydney Sweeney is great at taking on challenges, but she admits she is not as good at asking for help. The actor opened up about the struggle of asking for help as a woman while talking to Sky News about her new film “Christy,” which tells the story of boxer Christy Martin. Sweeney was candid and straightforward, and director David Michôd agreed with her perspective.
Sydney Sweeney reveals ‘asking for help’ is viewed as a ‘sign of weakness’ for women
During a conversation with Sky News, Sydney Sweeney admitted, “I have a really hard time with asking for help.” She said, “My friends recently have really pointed that out to me, and they’re like, ‘Sydney, it’s okay to ask. There’s nothing wrong with it.”’ Even so, she added, “I have really a hard time with it.”
The “Euphoria” star said that for women, especially in Hollywood, showing vulnerability can look like weakness. According to Sweeney, “It’s hard, especially as a woman. There are so many expectations on us to have it all together,” adding, “If we do ask for help, it’s seen as a sign of weakness.”
Sweeney further explained, “We don’t want to be viewed that way.” She shared how when a man asks for help, nobody says “he’s weak.” However, “If, like, a woman director asks for help, you’re like, ‘oh, she’s not prepared for this role.’”
Director David Michôd, who worked with Sweeney on the film, agreed. He co-wrote “Christy” with his wife, Mirrah Foulkes, who’s also a filmmaker. Michôd said that Mirrah has “had that experience a lot.” He added, “As soon as they [women] reveal that they don’t know something, it becomes like, ‘oh, she’s unprepared, she doesn’t know what she’s doing, she’s out of her depth,’ and I feel like I tell people I don’t know what I’m doing 20 times a day.”
“Christy” follows the American boxer’s rise to fame and the dangerous personal life that nearly ended her career. Sweeney said playing the fighter made her think differently about what strength really looks like.
