Sydney Sweeney Dissociates Herself From Her Characters
Sydney Sweeney is certainly having her moment. Last Summer, fans fell in love with the biting humor that she brought to her character, Olivia Mossbacher, on The White Lotus. And recently, Euphoria fans have been calling for her to receive an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Cassie Howard in Season 2. But the actor-producer has plenty of other characters for fans to sink their teeth into.
Sydney Sweeney gets candid about her roles in ‘Sharp Objects’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
Two of Sweeney’s most intense characters were Alice in Sharp Objects and Eden in The Handmaid’s Tale. Both were teenage girls who had some huge issues. Though Sweeney shot the two shows within months of each other, they were two very distinct characters. Part of the reason for this is the way the Washington native preps all of her characters.
Sweeney’s unique process involves building books for every person she plays. They chronicle her character’s life from birth to the present moment and vary based on who the character is. In an interview with Story + Rain, the actor explained how Alice’s book and Eden’s book were different from one another.
“Each role is different,” Sweeney shared. “When I was doing Handmaid’s Tale, Eden didn’t know how to read, so she wouldn’t know how to write things down. So her entire book is visual. Every past memory, anything timeline-wise…is done through visual, handmade, arts and crafts within her book. My character Alice, in Sharp Objects, definitely didn’t want to write anything down in a book about her life. So her book is kind of like a ‘F*** you’ to whomever made her do this. Each one is made completely differently, depending on how that character would approach doing it themselves.”
The ‘Euphoria’ star dissociates herself from her characters
These character books help The Players Table producer keep her characters separate from each other. However, they also help Sweeney keep her roles separate from herself. “I build my character so thoroughly,” Sweeney commented. “I know the character as an actual person, kind of like how you would know your mom or your best friend, or yourself. And I’m able to disassociate myself from whomever I’m playing, going in and out of it.”
Sweeney’s mentor urged her not to get lost in the people that she portrays
But why does Sweeney want to dissociate herself from the people she plays? The actor has been using this as a form of protection for herself for many years now. Her painstakingly crafted books were a way for her to take some advice she’d received to heart.
“I had this mentor when I was younger who told me that I should separate myself as much as I can from the characters I play, because sometimes you can easily get lost in the character,” Sweeney shared. “And I never wanted that to happen. Also, I enjoy building worlds.”
Clearly, Sweeney’s approach is working out well for her. Her resume is filled with interesting projects and she’s also got quite a few coming down the pipeline. The actor is currently filming the movie National Anthem, so it’ll be interesting to see the person she’s created for her character, Penny Jo Poplin.
