00:03I'm Oliver Trevina in studio for The Hollywood Reporter, joined by the lovely Sydney Sweeney.
00:08Hi.
00:09How are you?
00:09I'm good, how are you?
00:10You're busy.
00:11I've been very busy.
00:12Non-stop. Non-stop. Project to project to project. You just don't stop.
00:16I like to work.
00:17You do like to work, which is incredible, because you're very young, and yet like a decade of experience already.
00:23I feel old, though.
00:24You do?
00:25Yes.
00:25Don't look old, and you're not old, so yeah.
00:27But I'm sorry about the feeling. That comes with a lot of work.
00:30You've got to grow up someday.
00:31There you go. There you go. This is true. This is true.
00:34Let's talk about Handmaid's Tale. What an entrance. Eden.
00:37Yes.
00:38Yeah. That's quite a dark, kind of eerie way to go into something, I guess.
00:42It is.
00:42It's a short way of putting it.
00:44Disruptive.
00:45Yeah. Yeah. Kind of like you. Disruptive.
00:48Yeah.
00:49Exactly. Exactly. How is it going into a show like that, that, you know, obviously the second season, but the
00:53first season, I mean, the success is, I mean, it's huge.
00:56It's one of the biggest shows, you know, to date. So how is it going into a show like that?
01:01It was very intimidating.
01:03Mm-hmm.
01:03And I felt like I had a lot I needed to live up to, to be able to carry Eden
01:09and meet these incredible actors, so.
01:12Yeah. And you mentioned the cast. I mean, yeah, that's another plus as well.
01:16Elizabeth Moss.
01:17Right. I mean, I mean, Evon Strzofsky, Max Minghella, I mean, Joseph Fiennes.
01:20It's literally one of those lists that you look at and you're like, oh my word, they're all in the
01:23same show.
01:24Mm-hmm.
01:24So, you auditioned for the show.
01:26Yes.
01:27A lot of pressure on that.
01:28Yes. I actually, I hadn't seen the show yet.
01:31Oh, that's probably a good thing. That's a good thing then.
01:32And then I was like, I'll watch the first episode to kind of get a feeling for the show.
01:37And I ended up watching the entire season that night.
01:41Because you wanted to.
01:42Because I, I couldn't stop.
01:44Okay.
01:44I was like, what happens? And then I ran out of my room, went to my mom's room, was like,
01:48you have to watch this show.
01:49And we watched it all over again.
01:50Amazing. Amazing.
01:52And then, of course, did you, did you read the book then?
01:53When I got the call back, then I read the book that day.
01:57And then I auditioned again and I read with Max.
02:00That's a lot to do in a short time span.
02:02It was.
02:02Yeah.
02:02It was a lot of studying, a lot of homework.
02:04Okay.
02:04I wanted to make sure that I knew how Eden would be, what a child in Gilead would be like.
02:10And I wanted to make sure that I could portray that in the audition.
02:13Yeah, there's so much, I guess, to think about.
02:15Because even the pairing, you and Max, like, it's not like what people would put together.
02:18But obviously for this show, it's what works.
02:21But how is it?
02:22Is it strange on set playing this?
02:25Because, I mean, the wedding scene in particular, it's weird.
02:27It's weird.
02:28I'm actually starting to sweat a little bit and it's not the turtleneck.
02:31It's just thinking about the wedding scene.
02:32It was a little weird, but Max is so great to work with because he became such good friends
02:37that it was like hanging out on set and goofing off and listening to Taylor Swift.
02:42So that, I have to be honest, that's not what I expected on the set of Handmaid's Tale.
02:47Yep.
02:47Okay.
02:48So that's going on.
02:48They listen to Taylor Swift and joke around and it's a lot of fun.
02:52So it's very lighthearted.
02:53It is.
02:53Completely different than when you're actually in the scene.
02:56Okay, which is good because I think going into a show like that that's quite dark and
03:00eerie, and then you've got to pull yourself out of it.
03:02Exactly.
03:02It's good to have something to take you out.
03:04And the crew are all nice and fun, so you never get stuck in it.
03:07Okay.
03:08There's nothing better than Taylor Swift to pull you out of a tough moment.
03:12Right.
03:12So what can we expect from Eden?
03:14What's going on?
03:15Can you give us much?
03:20The silence.
03:21She's going to do the unexpected.
03:24Okay.
03:25I could see that.
03:27Eden strikes me as someone that you might just shock value, I guess.
03:30Completely.
03:31I mean, she's a true believer.
03:32All she knows is Gilead and to become a commander's wife and to have a child.
03:37And just imagine a 15-year-old who only knows that and wants that and what she's going to do.
03:43Right.
03:44Yeah, you can see it in her eyes.
03:45She's focused.
03:46She's very focused.
03:47She knows what she wants.
03:48She's very focused.
03:48Okay.
03:48She knows what God wants from her.
03:50There you go.
03:51Watch this space.
03:52Watch this space.
03:53Well, one small project to another.
03:56Sharp Objects.
03:56Yes.
03:57HBO miniseries with Amy Adams.
03:59Amy Adams.
03:59Jean-Marc Vallée.
04:00Yeah.
04:01Another small cast to go into.
04:03You're just ticking boxes like dream castmates.
04:06It's been an amazing year.
04:08It has been an incredible year.
04:09It's been an incredible few years.
04:10Yeah.
04:10I hope so.
04:11And you just keep going.
04:11What can you tell us about Sharp Objects?
04:13I know not a lot, but what can you tell us?
04:15Well, about my character specifically.
04:17Yeah.
04:18It's more in Amy Adams' character, Camille's past.
04:21And my character has a dark upbringing.
04:26Right.
04:27And a dark presence.
04:29That's pretty much all I can say about her.
04:32It's another, from what I've heard about it, it's another quite dark.
04:36It is.
04:36It's dark.
04:37It's dark again.
04:37It's twisted.
04:38It has that beautiful, big little lies feeling because of Jean-Marc Vallée and everyone involved.
04:46And it's very twisted.
04:48I mean, Gillian Flynn wrote the incredible book.
04:50Right, right, right, right.
04:51Exactly.
04:52Exactly.
04:52I don't have that.
04:52Once again, a lot of pressure going into a project that's got a fan base and everything
04:57already there.
04:58How have the fans reacted to Handmaid's Tale, by the way?
05:01Do you keep up to date with all that?
05:03What was interesting was the other day I was at a restaurant.
05:06Okay.
05:07And I was sitting there and I heard the table next to us talking about Handmaid's Tale.
05:10And I was like, oh gosh, like, oh no.
05:13And they started talking about Eden.
05:15And they were like, I hate her.
05:17Oh no.
05:17Taking Nick away from June.
05:19And I was like, oh my God, I'm leaving.
05:21Does it really make you feel uncomfortable?
05:23Is it really bad?
05:23Yes, I felt so bad.
05:24I was like, I'm not meaning to.
05:26Oh, you should have just turned around and said something.
05:28No, I left.
05:29It would have been like that moment in Notting Hill.
05:31Remember when they're talking about, have you seen Notting Hill?
05:33I don't know why I'm giving a reference to this now.
05:35Oh, it's an amazing movie.
05:36But Julia Roberts is at a table and they're saying how they hate her.
05:38And it's a great, you've got to watch that tonight.
05:40That's your homework.
05:41That's your homework.
05:42Yeah.
05:42Like you don't have enough to do.
05:45Yeah.
05:45No, so I've noticed like a lot of people dislike Eden because of the whole Nick and June romance.
05:52And also Eden's just so blinded by Gilead.
05:56So she's dangerous in that way.
05:58And then some people are like, oh my God, we love her.
06:00She's so young.
06:00And she's corrupted.
06:02We need to save her.
06:04Just to clear this up, people watching, Sydney's lovely.
06:08It's all pretend.
06:09It's all pretend.
06:10If you're in a restaurant and you see her, just pretend.
06:13Yeah, we don't want any violence in restaurants, do we?
06:16No.
06:16Sounds like they were really going to go after you.
06:18Another project.
06:19Another project.
06:21This could be a really long interview, but we're going to have to stop at some point.
06:23Under the Silver Lake.
06:25Yes.
06:25Yes.
06:25An amazing movie.
06:26Talk about that.
06:27Andrew Garfield.
06:28Incredible.
06:30I mean, it's not even name dropping because it's just, it's true.
06:33It's everyone you are working with.
06:35It's getting amazing reviews.
06:36People are talking about it, which is a plus.
06:38Yeah.
06:38In a very positive way.
06:39People could be talking about it in the other way, but they're not.
06:41No, it's good.
06:41It's set in the 70s.
06:42So, fun berets, fur jackets, high heels.
06:46Okay.
06:47You say that like you really love it, but obviously you have no recollection of the 70s.
06:50That's one thing.
06:50I enjoyed those days.
06:52Yeah, you loved those days.
06:53Ages very well.
06:54Sydney Sweeney, born in 69.
06:56Yeah.
06:57So, how was that getting to like, go into the 70s a little?
06:59It was fun.
07:00They put extensions in my hair, crazy outfits.
07:04I was like a call girl in the 70s.
07:06There you go.
07:07So, it was fun.
07:08Did mom like it?
07:08Did mom help like see the outfits?
07:10I sent a few pictures to my mom.
07:12Okay.
07:12Yeah, it wasn't that bad.
07:14Like, she wore swimsuits and fishnets and giant fur jackets.
07:18So, it was more like a playful with the colors and the fabrics.
07:23Sounds like you love it.
07:24I did.
07:24I really enjoyed it.
07:25It's different than me.
07:26Right, right.
07:26So, it was cool to be able to jump out of that.
07:28Which is great.
07:30Perks are the job.
07:31Yes.
07:31Perks are the job.
07:32Do you have a favorite genre?
07:33Because you're jumping around.
07:34Like, is there one?
07:35Love it all.
07:36You do?
07:36You don't tend to follow the darkness?
07:38I mean, I like the darkness.
07:40You do, right?
07:40See?
07:41There you go.
07:41I love to try and have a foot in every single different genre and category.
07:45Doing it all.
07:46Mm-hmm.
07:46See?
07:47And so, at such a young age, I mentioned this at the start of the interview, but over a
07:52decade of experience and very young, what have you learned along the way, the journey
07:57so far?
07:58What's been a tough part?
08:00Well, the tough part is just growing up in general.
08:04Right.
08:04And then you...
08:04I'm still struggling with that.
08:05Yeah.
08:06Every day.
08:07There's a lot more pressure on who you are, who you're going to be, and you really need
08:12to know who you are and be confident and comfortable in who you are, and not get sucked into the
08:23bad scenes.
08:35Right.
08:36I hope so.
08:36We've mentioned all the cast names that we've dropped between the two of us during this
08:41interview.
08:41Who haven't you worked with that you'd love to work with next?
08:44Oh, Leonardo DiCaprio.
08:45No question.
08:45No question.
08:46I know that one.
08:47Straight out there.
08:47Straight out there.
08:48100%.
08:49Okay.
08:49Dreamt.
08:50Always wanted.
08:50Look at that.
08:51Okay.
08:52I could easily see it happening.
08:53I hope so.
08:54We're going to do the THR's top five.
08:56Five easy questions for you.
08:57Okay.
08:58You look really worried.
08:59You look like Eden for a minute.
09:00I was like, settle down.
09:02They're just questions.
09:03They're just questions.
09:05Movie you watched as a kid that you wish you were in.
09:08Titanic.
09:10If I get a Leo reference to every one of these questions.
09:13You might.
09:14Okay.
09:15This is going to be weird because you're young,
09:17but first moment that comes to mind when I say career highlight.
09:20So far.
09:21Hand myself.
09:22That's a good one.
09:23Yeah.
09:23I figured it might be that.
09:24But you never know.
09:25You never know.
09:27Those eyes again.
09:28It's freaking me out.
09:29Describe your journey as an actress so far in one word.
09:34Challenging.
09:34It's a good one.
09:35It's a good one.
09:36We're finding that a lot of actresses are using the word challenging.
09:39Because it's true.
09:40If you weren't an actress, you would be?
09:43A professional wakeboarder.
09:47Is that so you could wakeboard with Leo?
09:49Is that a Leo reference to?
09:51Maybe?
09:51If he does, then hey.
09:53You're in.
09:54You're in.
09:54I'm ready.
09:55One random fact that we don't know about you.
09:57First thing that comes to mind.
09:58I built a treehouse when I was 12.
10:00You did?
10:01Yeah.
10:01Is that a random fact?
10:02On your own?
10:03It's random, but it's also impressive.
10:04It was the first thing that came to my mind.
10:06Actually, you built it?
10:07Yeah.
10:08That's my...
10:08You can tell I don't build anything.
10:10That's how I build.
10:10Okay.
10:11I did.
10:11I created a pulley system.
10:13I built a little ladder.
10:14And then I pulled the wood up and I made a treehouse.
10:16Okay.
10:17Look at that.
10:18Random fact.
10:19Libby Sweeney.
10:20Actress and treehouse builder.
10:22It's good backup, dude.
10:23Thanks.
10:24Okay.
10:25Okay.
10:25You're welcome.
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