‘Euphoria’: Sydney Sweeney Worried Another Actor Would Play Cassie as ‘the Blonde Girl and the Sex Symbol’
Sydney Sweeney had been gaining traction in the entertainment industry before she was cast in Euphoria. However, being a part of such a popular show has definitely made her more recognizable. Her portrayal of Cassie Howard has made her the face of tons of memes and earned her an Emmy nomination. And Sweeney certainly feels protective of her polarizing character despite some of Cassie’s poor decisions.
Sydney Sweeney turned down her first ‘Euphoria’ audition
Interestingly enough, Sweeney nearly turned down the opportunity to be in Euphoria at all. When the audition first came to her, she was a bit unnerved by the nudity that the role required. The Washington native has been candid about the fact that she comes from a more conservative family, so she turned down the audition. However, when she came across the audition again and was introduced to the character of Cassie, she couldn’t refuse a second time.
The Emmy-nominated actor had to fight for the part of Cassie Howard
But landing the role of Cassie didn’t come without a bit of a fight. Sweeney got word from her team that one of Euphoria’s casting directors didn’t think she was right for the role. She was encouraged not to even come in and audition. However, the MMA fighter was so invested in Cassie that she wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. She felt that she had a unique insight into the character and wanted to do her justice. Her fear that another actor might play the teen in a one-dimensional way made her really fight for the role.
Sweeney worried that another actor wouldn’t do Cassie justice
“It was the first [role] where I felt like I knew exactly who Cassie was, and I was worried that someone else might just come in and play her as the blonde girl and the sex symbol, because there’s so much more to her,” Sweeney shared when speaking to Deadline about her Euphoria audition. “I wanted people to be able to see that there is so much more depth to characters like that. And I knew I’d be able to find the depth in a character like that. And I hope people have seen that.”
How Sweeney became a part of the ‘Euphoria’ cast
Sweeney was certainly able to bring that depth to her audition for Cassie. Knowing that the casting director didn’t think she was right for the role, she instead put herself on tape. That tape was sent to writer and creator, Sam Levinson, as well as the Euphoria producers. After seeing her tape, Levinson was sure that Sweeney was the right actor to embody Cassie and quickly offered her the role. Clearly, Sweeney’s tenacity paid off for her in a big way. The actor seems very excited to explore more of Cassie’s depth in Euphoria Season 3.
