Sydney Sweeney has some important advice to share with young actors hoping to make a name in Hollywood.
"Honestly, do it as long as you love it," the 28-year-old actress said in an interview at the New York City premiere of her new film, “The Housemaid”.
"You gotta love it a lot, because it's really hard, and you're going to be told 'no' more than you're gonna be told 'yes,' " Sweeney continued.
The Emmy and SAG Award nominee stressed that dealing with rejection is part of the journey. "You have to deal with rejection, and it's a lot. So, if you love it to your core, then none of that matters because you're getting to do what you love," she noted.
Sweeney began her acting career in 2009, appearing in small roles in popular shows such as “Grey's Anatomy” and “Pretty Little Liars”. She rose to prominence in the late 2010s with standout performances in “The Handmaid's Tale”, “Sharp Objects”, and Quentin Tarantino's “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood”. Her portrayal of Cassie Howard in HBO's “Euphoria” earned widespread acclaim and cemented her status as one of Hollywood's leading young talents.
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In recent years, Sweeney has expanded her repertoire, starring in projects including “The White Lotus”, “Immaculate”, “Anyone but You”, “Madame Web”, and “Christy”. She has also taken on producing responsibilities, including for her latest film, “The Housemaid”.
The psychological thriller, adapted from Freida McFadden's 2022 novel, features Sweeney as a young woman who accepts a job as a housemaid for a wealthy couple, played by Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar.
Reflecting on her early days in the industry, Sweeney said she particularly enjoyed the audition process. "I loved auditioning, because I was getting to try out all these different characters," she said.
Reiterating her message for aspiring young actors, she concluded, "So I think if you're a child actor and you wanna do it, you just gotta make sure you love it."
“The Housemaid” releases in theatres on December 19.