Sydney Bernice Sweeney (born September 12, 1997) is an American actress. She rose to prominence with her roles in the teen drama television series Euphoria (2019–2026) and the first season (2021) of the acclaimed anthology series The White Lotus, and in films such as Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019). She is also known for her performances in The Handmaid’s Tale (2018), the romantic comedy Anyone but You (2023), and the psychological thriller The Housemaid (2025). Born in Spokane, Washington, Sweeney is the eldest child of Lisa (née Mudd) Sweeney, a lawyer, and Steven Sweeney, a healthcare professional. In her youth, her parents encouraged her to explore many interests, leading her to participate in sports like soccer, skiing, golf, and mixed martial arts, as well as ballet. Determined to become an actress, she auditioned for and landed a role in the independent horror film ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction (2009) near her hometown. Her younger brother Trent also appeared in the film. She convinced her family to move to Los Angeles to support her career. Her early guest roles included Heroes, Criminal Minds, 90210, Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, and In the Vault. Sweeney’s career gained major momentum in 2018 with her role as Emaline Addario in the Netflix series Everything Sucks!. That same year she played Eden Spencer in The Handmaid’s Tale and appeared alongside Amy Adams in Sharp Objects. In 2019 she was cast as Cassie Howard in Euphoria, a breakout performance that brought her widespread acclaim and a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2022 for her portrayal of a complex teenager navigating friendship, sexuality, and identity issues. 2021 she starred in the first season of The White Lotus as Olivia Mossbacher, the privileged daughter of wealthy parents at a luxury Hawaiian resort. The character deals with sibling rivalry, drug use, betrayal, and parental pressure. Her performance earned her a second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series in 2022. In film, Sweeney has appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) as a member of the Manson Family, earned critical acclaim as Reality Winner in Reality (2023), starred in the hit rom-com Anyone but You (2023), appeared in Madame Web (2024) and Immaculate (2024), portrayed boxer Christy Martin in the 2025 biopic Christy, and starred in The Housemaid (2025). 2020 she founded the production company Fifty-Fifty Films to support female authors, screenwriters, and producers. The company has backed several of her projects, including Anyone but You, Immaculate, and Christy. Beyond acting, Sweeney has made headlines with marketing campaigns. In May 2025 she released “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss,” a Dr. Squatch soap made with her own bathwater. The 5,000 bars sold out quickly and were resold at a profit. The campaign drew mixed reactions, with some criticizing the perceived sexualization while others saw it as empowering. Two months later, her American Eagle ad with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” in which she discussed genetics and heritability, sparked intense debate. Some accused it of promoting eugenics, while others called it a clever play on words.
