Sydney Sweeney is not interested in following a prewritten Hollywood script, and she never has been. In a candid new interview tied to her Cosmopolitan shoot, the actress reflected on building her career without industry shortcuts and on how she has learned to take control of her image on her own terms. Arriving at the shoot with lingerie in hand, Sweeney positioned herself as both the face and the force behind SYRN, her new intimate apparel line.
Sydney Sweeney explains ‘very different’ Hollywood Journey from ‘nepo baby peers’
Sweeney said launching SYRN marked a turning point in how she communicates with her audience. “This is me reclaiming my body and my narrative, and using it to empower other women,” she shared. “This can be how I communicate with my audience.” For Sweeney, showing skin doesn’t mean giving up control; it means taking it back.
When asked how her path compares to those of “nepo baby actors,” Sweeney didn’t hesitate to draw the contrast. “I never had a Plan B,” she explained. “I never prepared to fail because I didn’t have any choice but to succeed.”
Unlike many of her peers, Sweeney said she entered Hollywood without connections, mentors, or built-in opportunities. While she emphasized that every path comes with challenges, she made it clear that her process looked fundamentally different. “I’ve done projects with people who are born into the industry or had connections coming into it, and it’s very different seeing their process versus mine—which is not to say it’s less challenging,” she said. “It’s just different.”
However, Sweeney acknowledged the support of other women in the industry. She said, “I have some amazing women in my life. Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried, Sharon Stone, Maude Apatow, Jamie Lee Curtis. They’ve all really shown up for me in beautiful ways.”
Sweeney detailed the early grind that shaped her work ethic, one far removed from glamorous debuts or prestige projects. “My first jobs weren’t award-winning films,” she said. “I did really shitty indies, I did short films, and I did guest star, co-star, and extra work on TV shows. I did movies that I wish would disappear. But I had to start somewhere. I had to add things to my résumé, and I had to meet people.”
