Sydney Sweeney Was ‘Highly Sexualized in High School’ Just Like Cassie in ‘Euphoria’
When Sydney Sweeney first learned about the role of Cassie Howard in Euphoria, she knew she was the perfect person to play her. In fact, The Players Table producer was actually nervous that they’d cast another actor in the role who wouldn’t be able to bring the character to life in an empathetic way. She immediately understood who Cassie was and how to portray her with nuance. Perhaps the reason Sweeney felt such an affinity with her character is due to the similarities they share.
Fortunately, for Sweeney, she ended up booking the role. Though she was told she shouldn’t bother auditioning for the doe-eyed blonde, she threw caution to the wind and did it anyway. After making an audition tape with her mom, the Euphoria team booked her immediately.
Cassie Howard deals with a ton of hypersexualization in ‘Euphoria’
As Euphoria continues, the plotline for Sweeney’s character has certainly expanded. However, one thing that is consistent is the way Cassie is hyper-sexualized. She experiences slut-shaming on a fairly regular basis. Furthermore, nude photographs are frequently taken and shared without her consent. Romantic partners are quick to treat her like an object, performing sexual acts that are sometimes non-consensual.
Sydney Sweeney gets candid about how she was treated in high school due to her body
Interestingly enough, Sweeney can relate to Cassie being hypersexualized. While speaking with Viva, she reflected on how her life experiences occasionally run parallel to what her character experiences. Like Cassie, she was also hypersexualized in high school. And because the actor has done nudity in Euphoria and The Voyeurs, that trend has continued into adulthood.
“I was highly sexualized in high school because I had boobs,” Sweeney revealed. “It’s kind of funny: What was being said about Cassie in Euphoria, the public then decided to do to me in real life. Which I thought was so crazy, because we were trying to show a character who was so hypersexualized, and what could have been the cause and effects for her. And they just continue to do it.”
Like Cassie, ‘The White Lotus’ alum has also had boy drama in her teens
Of course, that’s not the only similarity that Sweeney shares with Cassie. The White Lotus alum admits that growing up, she also had complicated relationships with men at times. Like Cassie, she often looked for love in the wrong places and dated the wrong people as a form of rebellion. “I connected with [Cassie] on so many levels, such as her devotion — I definitely will lose myself to love and follow my heart sometimes more than my brain,” Sweeney revealed.
How is Sweeney wildly different from her ‘Euphoria’ character?
But though Cassie and Sweeney are similar in some ways, they are wildly different in others. A great example of this is Cassie’s drug and alcohol usage. Euphoria fans likely remember when Cassie took too much Molly and ended up self-pleasuring herself on a carousel at a carnival. Sweeney, on the other hand, has never, ever, touched drugs. In fact, the actor has yet to taste alcohol or even coffee. Instead, her vices are candy, cookies, and ice cream.
Clearly, Sweeney and Cassie have their fair share of similarities and differences. We’re sure fans of Euphoria are intrigued to see what the Emmy-nominated actor does with her character in season 3. And if Sweeney is to be believed, filming for the third season is due to start filming sooner rather than later.
