While many parents back their children’s career choices, there are definitely some lines they prefer not to cross.
If you’ve seen Euphoria, you’re aware that it deals with intense topics like drug use and sex, making it a show most people would steer clear of watching alongside their parents.
But what do you do when your own child is one of the main stars?
This was the situation Sydney Sweeney’s family faced.
Sweeney portrays a character with several explicit scenes in the popular HBO series, and while she’s now a rising star in Hollywood, her role in Euphoria brought its own set of difficulties.
She even had to work harder to secure roles that were different from the ones audiences had already seen her perform on the show.
In an interview with Variety, Sweeney shared, “It’s the ones I have to fight for that usually are the ones that I want that are different, like Reality.”
“I had to audition for it. I had to put myself on tape and send in my audition just like everybody else.”
She also discussed how she encountered similar challenges while auditioning for White Lotus.
“It was the same for White Lotus. They didn’t think that I was right for White Lotus, because I did Euphoria. So I put myself on tape, I auditioned for White Lotus just like everybody else and had a call back like everybody else.”
“I could get offered roles that are similar to the ones that I’ve played, but the ones that are different, the ones that surprise people that I do, are the ones that I usually have to fight for.”
Even though she had to persuade casting directors to look past her HBO role, Sweeney’s daring scenes in Euphoria made it difficult for some of her family members to watch the show.
In an interview on Sunday Today With Willie Geist, Sweeney shared how her family responded to her part in the series.
While her mom was more familiar with the plot, some family members, including her dad, were taken by surprise.
“My mom visited me on set at the time, so she knew the story and I talked to her a lot about it—my dad didn’t,” she admitted. “Yeah, I didn’t prepare my dad. At all.”
As a result, her dad ended up watching the show without much warning—along with some other family members. He had no idea what to expect.
“I mean, how do you even bring that up in conversation?” she joked. “And also, when I talk to my dad, it’s usually not about work.”
“We talk, like, father-daughter conversations. He decided he was going to watch it, without telling me, with his parents.”
As you might expect, not everyone managed to watch it all the way through.
“My dad and my grandpa turned it off and walked out,” Sweeney revealed.
“But my grandma is a big supporter of mine. She’s a big fan of mine. Actually, I bring her, usually, all over the world to my different sets and I make her an extra.”
Sometimes, you just can’t please everyone!
