Sydney Sweeney catapults from supporting actress to Hollywood 'it girl'

Sydney Sweeney has become the next big movie star.

The 27-year-old blonde bombshell gained commercial success after starring in TV shows such as "Sharp Objects" and "The Handmaid's Tale." However, Sweeney's big break came after she was cast as Cassie in "Euphoria" and then Olivia in "The White Lotus."

Sweeney's tenure of supporting roles in some of HBO's biggest hits led to a multimillion-dollar payout in the form of blockbuster movie roles as she has moved from supporting star to Hollywood's "it girl."

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"To her credit, for all the 'it girls' who had their 15 minutes of fame, few used that platform to fortify their fan base while working to diversify their portfolio, both vertically and laterally," branding expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital. "Sweeney understands how the 'scaffolding model' works and is utilizing it to great effect."

"Sweeney also has a unique sense of relatability. She attracts male viewers but doesn't turn off female fans," he added. "This is a more tenuous high-wire balancing act than you might imagine. Over the last 30 years, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston made their entire career by playing a singular role ('Pretty Woman' and ‘Friends,’ respectively). They can do no wrong in the minds of female fans, but they don't necessarily garner that same fervor among male fans."

He continued, "By contrast, Angelina Jolie drew a massive male audience but was largely vilified and rejected by female viewers. I draw that parallel to put Sweeney's rise in context: She has taken a brick-by-brick approach, navigating and balancing between her looks, her likability and her raw theatrical talent. She is becoming a Swiss army knife of ability, a versatile tool in Hollywood, that doesn't come around very often. There's also a sense of humility and self-depreciation that is endearing to both male and female fans, and that's an increasingly rare trait these days."

"Sweeney also has a unique sense of relatability. She attracts male viewers but doesn't turn off female fans. This is a more tenuous high-wire balancing act than you might imagine."

— Doug Eldridge, branding expert

Sweeney earned $2 million for her role in "Anyone But You" alongside Glen Powell, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film, which premiered in December 2023, earned $220 million at the box office using a $25 million budget, the outlet reported. Sweeney also reportedly made $250,000 in an executive producing fee.

Less than a year later, multiple sources told THR that Sweeney signed a $7.5 million deal to star in "The Housemaid" alongside Amanda Seyfried.

The $5.5 million jump in Sweeney's earning potential in less than a year is not common, according to the outlet. Most stars receive higher pay in the form of pre-negotiated increments.

Sweeney's rise to Hollywood "it girl" came from "strategic career planning," Gary Frayter, celebrity brand and social media director with Kronus Communications, told Fox News Digital. 

"By choosing diverse and challenging roles early on, she built credibility and a loyal fan base," he said. "Beyond acting, she leveraged her momentum by founding her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films, which allowed her to take control of her career trajectory and explore behind-the-scenes opportunities. This strategic approach, paired with brand partnerships and a strong social media presence, has positioned her as both a Hollywood star and a savvy entrepreneur."

"Sydney's journey exemplifies the power of blending artistic talent with entrepreneurial foresight to achieve sustained success in the entertainment industry," Frayter added.

One strategic move Sweeney made was to take the supporting role in "Madame Web," for which she was reportedly paid $750,000. The actress took the role in the Spider-Man universe film for Sony Pictures to pick up "Anyone But You."

"She wanted them to know she was a team player," a source told THR.

Sweeney's ability to showcase her "versatility" has definitely helped the rising star, but isn't her "most significant move," according to Eldridge.

"'Madame Web' was a box-office bomb, but it was another feather in the cap for Sweeney," he said. "It's not so much a case of 'failing upward' as it is consistently expanding her base and showcasing her versatility. By contrast, she played to her core base with the rom-com 'Anyone But You' and literally laughed all the way to the bank as the film raked in more than $230 million at the global box office. The real significance of that haul is that it didn't come on the heels of a glitzy marketing campaign, it was driven almost entirely by fan support. That's a testament both to her fan base and her emerging star power."

"In the bigger picture, I think the most significant move she has made hasn't been the roles she's taken but the companies she's building," Eldridge added. "She formed her own production company and is now vetting incoming projects as well as developing her own content. This is significant as it will determine which direction her career heads from here. But like I always tell clients, 'Kites rise against the wind, not with it.' I think Sweeney will likely heed this strategy and continue to selectively tack against the winds of Hollywood. If she does, the sky is the limit."

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Things looked vastly different for Sweeney just a few years ago.

In 2022, Sweeney said she "can’t get [her] mind to shut up" and doesn't sleep over worries that she'll lose her relevance as a rising young star.

"If I wanted to take a six-month break, I don’t have income to cover that," Sweeney told the Hollywood Reporter in a 2022 interview. "I don’t have someone supporting me, I don’t have anyone I can turn to to pay my bills or call for help."

"They don’t pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals," Sweeney added. "The established stars still get paid, but I have to give 5% to my lawyer, 10% to my agents, 3% or something like that to my business manager. I have to pay my publicist every month, and that’s more than my mortgage."

Part of Sweeney's success as a "driven professional" comes from her understanding of an actor's financial commitments, according to marketing expert Kathy Fielder.

"She’s a star who knows how to work hard and deliver," she told Fox News Digital. "She’s making things happen in her industry, so kudos to her continued success."

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Sweeney has been candid about her childhood and previously explained the financial hardships her family went through in order for her to launch her acting career at age 13.

At one point, the family shared one hotel room.

"We lived in one room," she previously explained told the Hollywood Reporter. "My mom and I shared a bed and my dad and little brother shared a couch."

The financial hardships also took a toll on her parents' marriage.

"I thought that if I made enough money, I’d be able to buy my parents’ house back and that I’d be able to put my parents back together," Sweeney said. "But when I turned 18, I only had $800 to my name. My parents weren’t back together and there was nothing I could do to help."

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