Sydney Sweeney Asked 'Euphoria' Creator to Cut Back on Nude Scenes
Film/TV

Sydney Sweeney Asked 'Euphoria' Creator to Cut Back on Nude Scenes

Sydney Sweeney is opening up about her experience with HBO's Euphoria, specifically with the filming and reception of its nude scenes.

“There are moments where [my character] Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here,'" she told the Independent, detailing her conversation with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. “He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it.'"

Sweeney made it clear, though, that Levinson was always willing to listen to her requests and work to ensure she felt comfortable on-set. “I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show,” she said. “When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me.”

The actress further discussed how her work in Euphoria didn't receive the acclaim it should have because her character got naked in certain scenes. “I’m very proud of my work in Euphoria,” Sweeney said. “I thought it was a great performance. But no one talks about it because I got naked.”

She continued, “I do The White Lotus and all of a sudden critics are paying attention. People are loving me. They’re going, ‘Oh my God, what’s she doing next?’ I was like, ‘Did you not see that in Euphoria? Did you not see that in The Handmaid’s Tale?' This is something that has bothered me for a while."

Ultimately, Sweeney argued that this highlights the “stigma” against actresses who film nude scenes. Male actors, however, are lauded for the same work. "When a guy has a sex scene or shows his body, he still wins awards and gets praise," she said. "But the moment a girl does it, it’s completely different.”

Photography: Cole Sprouse for PAPER

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