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Recently, Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney opened up about the harsh realities of working in Hollywood. There, she revealed that she's not making enough to take a "six-month break" from acting or be the young mom she's always dreamed of becoming. Here's the truth about the actress' financial issues.
Sydney Sweeney's Family Struggled Financially
In July 2022, Sweeney revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that her family struggled with money when she was growing up. It got tougher when they moved to Los Angeles when she was 13 to pursue acting. Her parents sold their house in Spokane to fund the big move. However, they still couldn't afford a home in L.A. that they ended up staying in a motel. "We lived in one room. My mom and I shared a bed and my dad and little brother shared a couch," she recalled. Her parents eventually split as they burned their savings and become estranged from their family and friends who disapproved of their relocation.
The White Lotus star kept trying out for "really sh--ty projects" for as little as $100 a day, hoping it would keep her parents together. "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," she shared. "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." After that, landing parts didn't get any easier for her.
"The rejection you get while you're trying to learn to be yourself is insane," she said of breaking into Hollywood. "It's insane how adults look at you." As a result, she admitted to still feeling like an outsider in show business. "I had no idea getting into this industry how many people have connections," she said. "I started from ground zero, and I know how f--king hard it is. Now I see how someone can just walk in a door, and I'm like, 'I worked my f--king ass off for 10 years for this.'"
How Much Did Sydney Sweeney Make From 'Euphoria'?
"They don't pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals," Sweeney told THR. According to World Celebs, she only made $25,000 per episode in Euphoria. For context, Jennifer Aniston made $22,500 ($39,000 today) per episode in the first season of Friends. These days, each of the main cast also makes $20 million in rerun residuals per year. You'd think the 24-year-old actress would receive more, especially given her many nude scenes in the HBO series. "The established stars still get paid, but I have to give 5 percent to my lawyer, 10 percent to my agents, 3 percent or something like that to my business manager," Sweeney explained. "I have to pay my publicist every month, and that’s more than my mortgage."
As a result, Sweeney admitted to taking side gigs to sustain her life in L.A. That includes being an ambassador for Miu Miu, starring in an Armani campaign, and endorsing swimwear brand, LA Collective, which was reportedly suing her. "If I just acted, I wouldn't be able to afford my life in L.A. I take deals because I have to," she confessed. She even maxed out on purchasing her home that she couldn't afford a gate to secure her from paparazzi and fans who found her address real estate blogs. "I couldn't believe I was even able to buy a house," she said. "I want to be able to stay there."
Sydney Sweeney's Concerns About Being A Mom
Sweeney also revealed to the publication that she's always wanted to be a young mom. However, her finances haven't aligned with her plans yet. "I want to have a family, I've always wanted to be a young mom, and I'm worried about how this industry puts stigmas on young women who have children and looks at them in a different light," she said of her concerns. "I was worried that, if I don't work, there is no money and no support for kids I would have." The actress has long been rumored to be engaged to restaurateur Jonathan Davino. However, she declined to spill any details about their relationship.
The Voyeurs star is also on the fast lane these days, taking projects left and right. "If I wanted to take a six-month break, I don't have income to cover that," she said of her financial insecurities. "I don't have someone supporting me, I don't have anyone I can turn to, to pay my bills or call for help." Another thing is that she's unable to keep trustworthy people around her as her career takes off. "It's built to try to make you back stab people," she said of her profession.
"It's insane. My agent is my best teammate, and I'll have her forever. [But] I see how people are like, 'We support each other' — and I'm like, 'No. You f--king don't,'" she told THR journalist, Seija Rankin. "I can feel my bubble of who I can talk to and share intimate things with and have relationships shrinking, shrinking, shrinking. You'll write about this and people won't believe what I say. And that's really, really hard."
