“Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson has heaped praise on Sydney Sweeney for the way she held her own through the NSFW plot for her Cassie character in the series’ final season.
Levinson revealed that he was quite flat-footed about launching the twist, but the 28-year-old actress was more than willing to do it and even pushed for it.
All season long, Sydney Sweeney, after being at the receiving end of massive backlash from fans, hit back at trolls in an Instagram post following the show’s end.
Sam Levinson Reveals Sydney Sweeney Fought To Film Nude Scenes For Her Character
Throughout season three of “Euphoria,” viewers watched Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie, turn to OnlyFans modeling to fund an extravagant lifestyle and wedding with Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi.
The plotline instantly subjected the actress to a barrage of online criticism, with some fans even accusing show creator Sam Levinson of subjecting her to an on-screen “humiliation ritual” filled with increasingly bizarre shoots.
However, speaking on the latest episode of the New York Times‘ “Popcast” podcast, Levinson seemingly addressed the claims that the explicit scenes were forced upon her, explaining that Sweeney herself didn’t want to “skirt around” any nudity and actively fought against censoring the storyline.
“When I first wrote it … I thought, ‘Well, maybe, we shoot all of this, and we don’t have any nudity,'” he said, per Us Weekly. “I was talking to her about, maybe, there’s ways to shoot around certain [things] — and she looked at me, and she’s like, ‘Are you kidding? I’m playing an OnlyFans model.'”
Sam Levinson Labels Sydney Sweeney ‘Fearless’ For Her Daring Decision
The 41-year-old filmmaker had nothing but praise for Sweeney as he went further to explain that he “always” holds conversations with the actors and actresses he works with in order to find “what works best for the character.”
However, with Sweeney, she was “fearless” in playing the risque scene and wasn’t afraid of taking risks.
“I think she’s a totally fearless actor. She’s also just wonderfully professional, and shows up just game every day,” he said. “I adore working with her, because there’s such a flexibility in terms of the performance.”
The Director Says There’s Major ‘Trust’ Between Him And The Actress
Levinson also stated that there’s “a lot of trust” between the two of them, following more than 7 years of building a healthy working relationship since the hit HBO series first launched in 2019.
“I can say, ‘Why don’t we try this scene just a little crazier, with a little more humor?’ Suddenly, this whole other version of the scene can come out just based on her performance,” he noted.
Levinson continued, “We’re tackling this world of OnlyFans where women are being paid to whisper into an ear-shaped microphone and lick it. There is a level of absurdity to it that is just fun.”
Sydney Sweeney’s Clap Back At Trolls And Critics Of Her ‘Euphoria’ Scenes
Sweeney recently took to social media to share a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos from the set, including a daring photo of herself posing semi-nude with the real-life snake featured in Cassie’s final arc.
Other photos show her posing alongside costars Apatow, Elordi, Alexa Demie, who plays Maddie, and also featuring late Eric Dane, who played Cal Jacobs.
While the pictures drew a lot of attention, it was Sweeney’s short and simple caption that stole the show.
“It’s called… acting,” she wrote, seemingly hitting back at people who criticized her due to her racy scenes.
In the season finale of the show, other characters, including Zendaya’s lead character, Rue, received a more definitive ending, but Sweeney’s character, Cassie, was left open-ended.
For her final scene, she is shown washing her sex toys as her on-screen sister Lexi (Maude Apatow) gets emotional over Rue’s death.
Sydney Sweeney Called Out ‘Double Standard’ Against Actresses Who Go Nude On Screen
In addition to “Euphoria,” Sweeney has previously set tongues wagging with her racy scenes in “The Voyeurs,” “The Housemaid,” “Anyone But You,” and more.
However, she has had to defend herself against the “double standard” that came with getting naked on screen, explaining that when her male counterparts do it, they win awards, but the opposite is the case when it comes to her and other actresses.
“I don’t think as many people took me seriously in Euphoria because I took my shirt off,” she told Cosmopolitan in February 2022. “When I saw ‘The Voyeurs’ for the first time, I wondered if I’d done too much. I researched celebrities who have done nude scenes, trying to make myself feel better.”
Sweeney continued: “There are hour-long compilations of world-famous male actors with nude scenes who win Oscars and get praised for that work. But the moment a woman does it, it degrades them.”
“They’re not actresses; they just take off their tops so they can get a role,” she added. “There’s such a double standard, and I really hope that I can have a part in changing that.”