ydney Sweeney has a lot resting on her shoulders. The 26-year-old actress has been credited with bringing back the traditional ‘movie star’, with resuscitating the romantic comedy, with reinventing the archetypal ‘bombshell’. In the last year
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“It's important to stay true to your dreams and push forward.”
ELLE: Your earliest roles were in adaptations of wonderful books The Handmaid’s Tale and Sharp Objects. Were you a big reader growing up?
I absolutely loved to read growing up, and still do today. I’d spend hours lost in the pages of my favourite books, exploring new worlds and meeting fascinating characters. Reading is like my escape and an adventure.
Once you realised you wanted to be an actor at 11, you presented your parents with a five-year business plan to convince them you were serious about the industry. Your family took you seriously and were very supportive of your career early on, driving overnight to LA from Idaho for auditions. Were there people in your life who questioned your parents’ decisions? How did you ignore the noise and keep going?
Coming from a smaller town and trying something new and out of the ordinary can be incredibly challenging. My parents always encouraged me to dream big, and sometimes that brings change that can disrupt cycles and comfort zones. There were many people, friends and family who doubted and would very vocally disapprove and voice their opinions about my aspirations. But despite the obstacles, it's important to stay true to your dreams and push forward, use it all as fuel, and know that change has to start with a single brave step.
In some of the earlier roles you worked with formidable actresses like Amy Adams and Elisabeth Moss. What did they teach you about the industry and navigating Hollywood as a young woman?
Watching both Amy and Elisabeth’s work was incredibly inspiring. Their blend of kindness, professionalism, and leadership on set showed me the power of strong, compassionate women. It motivated me to pursue a career that allows me to harness my creativity and take charge with confidence.
Euphoria proved a game-changing role for you, and Cassie—particularly in season 2—became one of the series’ most important and memorable characters. Why do you think Cassie, as messy and sometimes frustrating as she is, resonated so deeply with people?
I think people resonated with Cassie because she wasn’t afraid to show her emotions, she wore them on her sleeve and didn’t know how to hide them. Her raw, unfiltered honesty was both messy and refreshing, but also genuinely from her heart.
In 2020 you launched Fifty-Fifty Films. Why was it important to you to be able to produce material as well as act in it, and what do you see as the defining goal of Fifty-Fifty?
Having a voice and being creatively involved in the industry is crucial. I don’t want to sit back and wait for the role or project I dream of to be made. Instead, I want to be the one bringing it to the table. Taking initiative and actively shaping my path allows me to pursue my passions and hopefully make a meaningful impact on the industry.
“I don’t want to sit back and wait for the role or project I dream of to be made. Instead, I want to be the one bringing it to the table.”
Your first film under Fifty-Fifty was this year’s horror film Immaculate, which you were wonderful in. You first read for the part back in 2016; why did you feel so strongly about resurrecting this film years later?
The script stuck with me; it kept me on the edge of my seat and ignited my imagination. I’ve always loved this genre. I think it has a unique ability to explore deep fears and also break many rules.
The film is about a woman, Cecilia, who struggles with nuns who treat her body as if it isn’t her own. Most young women struggle with this feeling, which has been amplified for you as a woman in the public eye. How have you navigated that tension?
I'm still learning to navigate it all! There are always new challenges, and while it can be overwhelming at times, I'm embracing the process and going to continue to learn throughout it.
Anyone But You was a huge success—and shot in Australia!—surpassing $200 million at the box office and being credited for reviving the romantic comedy genre. Why do you think we see so few great rom coms these days, and which classic rom coms were you looking at when you were preparing for the film?
I hope to see more rom coms. I grew up loving them and was very fortunate to get to work alongside both Rachel Griffiths and Dermot Mulroney in Anyone But You; both were in one of my favourite classics, My Best Friend’s Wedding. I think people seek an experience when they watch movies, a shared connection of joy, love, sadness. It's truly special when a film brings people together and then has them dancing on their way out of the theatre.
“I think people seek an experience when they watch movies, a shared connection of joy, love, sadness.”
What were your favourite parts about filming in Australia? Are there any spots you miss?
I miss it so much. Australia was so welcoming and kind to me. I miss Raw Bar in Bondi. But I really miss my cast and crew. It was a very special group of people.
In your recent Saturday Night Live monologue you poked fun at the clickbait—often completely untrue—that celebrities like yourself have to deal with. It made clear that there’s “Sydney Sweeney” the public sees who's quite detached from who you are as a person. How have you learned to negotiate these two “selves”?
I’m still navigating it all, honestly.
Talk to us about your relationship with Kérastase. You’re very selective with the brands you work with—why did you want to work with them?
It’s important to me that the brands I work with are aligned to my authentic self and that I genuinely love and use. I’m currently in the middle of my hair-health journey, and my hair stylist had recommended Kérastase’s new Première line. I’ve really noticed the difference with less breakage, and my hair is becoming fuller and healthier.
Hair plays a huge (often overlooked) role for an actor; how do you look after your own hair? What products do you love and how do you use them?
I’ve been using the Kérastase Première collection: the shampoo, conditioner, and recently the decalcifying pre-shampoo treatment. My hair is really prone to damage from processes like heat styling for my job, so it really helps repair and keep the strength despite all of this.
You’re constantly on set, on photoshoots, having your hair styled, often with heat tools. How do you keep your hair healthy long-term and avoid damage?
I love a good hair mask. I try to use the Kérastase Première Masque Filler or Masque Therapiste once a week. And then before any styling, Kérastase has a lot of amazing protection products; my favourite is Première Intensive Repairing Serum that works to seal hair strands and protect them from heat damage. I’ll then follow up with the Repairing Hair Oil to make my hair super shiny.
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alone, she produced and starred in two films, both wildly different and wildly popular. 2023’s Anyone But You, a zeitgeist-defining romantic comedy set in Australia, grossed a cool US $200 million worldwide. Then came Immaculate, a cult-followed horror in which Sweeney plays a nun fleeing sinister forces that seek to control her body.
The latter role felt like a particularly pointed choice by Sweeney, who also produced the film under her production company Fifty-Fifty Films. Ever since she burst onto the scene as Cassie Howard in Euphoria, Sweeney and her body have been the topic of endless cultural conversations. Her breasts have spawned a thousand think-pieces, so much so that earlier this year, Sweeney pilloried the chatter with a hilarious send-up on Saturday Night Live. Sweeney walked head-first into the quagmire that so many young women in the public eye face: the fact that her success as an actress—a wonderful, deeply intelligent, considered actress—has made her body into a cultural talking point, into a thing that isn’t her own. “Honestly, I’m still learning to navigate it all,” Sweeney, our June digital cover star, tells ELLE Australia.
Sweeney embodies everything an ELLE cover star ought to be: brimming with charisma, intellect, and raw talent, while still knowing the game-changing power of a good dress (case in point: the custom Miu Miu she wore to the Met Gala, and the Marilyn Monroe-esque vintage Marc Bouwer she wore to this years Oscars). Here, the Kérastase ambassador opens up about falling in love with Australia while filming Anything But You, presenting a business plan to her parents to let them convince her to act (at age 11), and how she’s taking an active part in crafting the kind of roles she wants to play.
the rise and roar of
Photographed by Beau Grealy
Photographed by Beau Grealy
Courtesy of Kérastase
Photographed by Beau Grealy
Courtesy of Kérastase