In a candid interview with Glamour, actor and producer Sydney Sweeney goes deep on what it means to be empowered: a woman in control of her life, schedule, opportunities and—yes, her body, too. Alongside her journey to Emmy-nominated acting roles and opening her own production house, Fifty-Fifty Films, Sweeney discusses her own personal growth from body-conscious to body-embracing.
Discussed often as a sex-symbol, Sweeney is used to attention being placed on her body. But she hasn’t always been the biggest fan of it herself.
“When I was in high school, I used to feel uncomfortable about how big my boobs were,” Sweeney says. “And I used to say that when I turned 18, I was going to get a boob job to make them smaller. And my mom told me, ‘Don’t do it. You’ll regret it in college.’ And I’m so glad I didn’t. I like them. They’re my best friends.”
These days, she’s fully embraced the body she has, and that confidence is noticeable.
“Everybody’s body is beautiful,” Sweeney shares. “When you are confident and you’re happy within is when it really shows to other people.”
More Than a Body
Sydney Sweeney Is Empowered to Learn German
If there’s one thing Sweeney would like you to know: she’s more than just her looks. On the back of starring in the latest music video for The Rolling Stones and quickly approaching the arrival of her latest project in theaters, Anyone But You, Sweeney is a powerhouse of 18-hour days in multiple roles: brand ambassador, actor and producer.
“I really love producing and I dream about projects all the time,” she says. “I got to produce the [upcoming] film Immaculate from the ground up, [as well as] Anyone But You.”
Despite the sheer volume of work Sweeney is constantly juggling, the biggest takeaway from a national media perspective is so often centered on her chest. What she wears on the red carpet and how her breasts look in those outfits, are more often than not, a major focus of any coverage about her.
“Well, especially when it comes to red-carpet pics and they’re like, ‘Sydney Sweeney displays bust,’ or ‘Sydney Sweeney wears a scandalous dress,’ I’m like, ‘I’m wearing the exact same dress someone else would be wearing! I just have tits.’ And if someone else is wearing it, they’d be like, ‘Oh, so sleek and so well-mannered.’ Just because I have boobs, it doesn’t change…” Sweeney trails off before adding, “I understand. I get it. It’s your headline. And those won’t change because then they won’t get the clicks.”
Beyond what she wears and what she looks like, Sweeney is a multi-hyphenate business woman, actor and producer at only 26. She’s also the kind of actor to fully delve into her role, ready to do research and even learn new languages to improve her grasp of the character.
“I think my character would have read these as a kid,” Sweeney says. “She’s also from Germany, so I’m trying to teach myself German. I have Duolingo on my phone. I want to give everything that I do 110%.”
Closing to the interview, Glamour‘s Jessica Radloff suggests the national media headlines this time will be ‘Sydney Sweeney is Empowered to Learn German.’ But Sweeney’s takeaway is telling.
“The headline is, ‘Sydney Sweeney feels empowered when she shows off her tits.’ But we could only hope,” she laughs. “We could only hope.”
Owning Her Sexuality
Yes, Sweeney is Empowered by Her Body, Too
That doesn’t mean Sweeney doesn’t want to feel sexy sometimes, too. One of her latest projects, starring in the music video for ‘Angry,’ the lead single from The Rolling Stones’ latest album, Hackney Diamonds, sees Sweeney take control of her own sex appeal in an undeniably sexy corset and leather chaps.
“I felt hot,” Sweeney says. “I picked my own outfit out of racks and racks of clothes. I felt so good in it.”
Having her sexuality at the forefront isn’t the problem, it’s about it being on her terms.
“One of the questions I get is, ‘Are you a feminist?’ I find empowerment through embracing the body that I have,” Sweeney explains. “That’s sexy and strong, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. I’m in a Rolling Stones video. How cool and iconic is that? I felt so good. All the moves, everything I was doing was all freestyle. I mean, who else gets to roll around on the top of a convertible driving down Sunset Boulevard with police escorts? It’s the cool things in this career that I had no idea I’d get to do.”
