Sydney Sweeney isn't here to play it safe. The 27-year-old "Euphoria" star and Hollywood's newest power player is clapping back at critics who accuse her of cashing in on an oversexualized image.
From eyebrow-raising ad campaigns and bathwater soap stunts to multimillion-dollar movie deals, Sweeney insists every move is calculated and part of her bigger plan.
Sydney Sweeney Defends Her Risqué Campaigns
In the past year alone, Sweeney has gone from prestige TV darling to advertising powerhouse, appearing in campaigns for Baskin-Robbins, Laneige, and Samsung.
Yet it's the provocative ones that have fans talking.
"I think it's important to have a finger on the pulse of what people are saying, because everything is a conversation with the audience," the two-time Emmy nominee explained in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
One of her most notorious deals came with Dr. Squatch, which sold limited-edition soap infused with Sweeney's actual bathwater.
The viral stunt dominated social media and fueled the narrative that she was leaning too hard on sex appeal.
Unbothered, Sweeney brushed it off. "It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting," she said. "They all loved the idea of Jacob Elordi's bathwater."
When asked if the campaigns were part of her strategy, Sweeney didn't hesitate to respond, saying, "Yes. Very."
Sweeney On Controversy And Control
Not all of Sydney Sweeney's campaigns have been received with humor.
Her American Eagle denim ad, tagged with "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," sparked outrage online, with critics accusing it of carrying disturbing undertones.
Some even went so far as to call it "Nazi propaganda."
Sweeney has stayed silent on that particular backlash, but her philosophy toward work suggests she won't let outside noise dictate her choices.
"I definitely have a hard time sitting on set in a chair," she admitted. "I just want to ask, What's the budget? What's our line item? Where can we make things run better?"
This hands-on approach carries into her production company, Fifty-Fifty Films, where she oversees projects with the same intensity she brings to her acting roles.
Work, Love, And What Sydney Sweeney Won't Say
The actress has been open about her career but fiercely protective of her private life, especially after her split from ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino earlier this year.
"I'm going to keep all of my personal stuff out of it," she told WSJ firmly when pressed about whether she and Davino would still collaborate behind the scenes.
That laser focus on boundaries also extends to her work schedule.
Back in 2022, Sweeney sparked headlines after admitting she couldn't afford her publicist, stylist, and mortgage if she took six months off.
Now, she clarifies it wasn't about financial struggle but relentless drive.
"What I was talking about is more that I didn't have time to take six months off," she explained. "I was so busy, and still, same. But I do that because I don't want to take six months off. I get anxiety thinking about just taking a few days off."
She added that while she keeps her schedule open for unexpected offers, she could easily "be booked for the next three or four years."
Sweeney's Career Skyrockets With Bigger Paychecks
While Sydney Sweeney's ads dominate social media, her acting roles are commanding staggering paydays.
According to WSJ, Sweeney earned just $65,000 for her role in "Reality" in 2023. Later that year, she landed $2 million for the rom-com "Anyone But You" alongside Glen Powell.
Now, with her thriller "The Housemaid" set for a Christmas Day release, her asking price has skyrocketed to $7.5 million.
"Being on set is my happy place," she said.
Those who work with her agree. Director Paul Feig, who helmed "The Housemaid," praised her commitment.
"She loves to work. She was completely present emotionally, just up for anything, and really didn't bring any issues to set," Feig recalled. "And I know she was going through some things when this was going on — I mean, now everybody knows about her engagement falling apart and breaking off and all that… But she would never bring it to the set. I'd say, 'Hey, are you OK?' and she'd go, 'I'm fine, I'm great!' but not defensively."
Sydney Sweeney's 'Americana' Struggles At The Box Office
Sweeney's interview came after her latest film, "Americana," stumbled in its nationwide debut.
Despite a buzzy festival premiere, the indie crime drama has failed to draw audiences, opening in more than 1,100 theaters but projected to earn only $850,000 in its first weekend.
The movie, co-starring Halsey and Paul Walter Hauser, follows a violent clash in a small South Dakota town after a rare Lakota Ghost Shirt surfaces.
While critics offered a mixed response, with a 68% Rotten Tomatoes score, the film's lackluster performance placed it outside the top 15 at the box office.