While Sydney Sweeney is one of the biggest names in Hollywood today, many forget that she made her TV debut in an incredibly popular series. After several years of bit parts in movies and television guest-starring roles, Sweeney broke out in the buzzy HBO dramas Euphoria and The White Lotus, which earned her her first two Primetime Emmy nominations.
From there, she parlayed her small-screen success into a prolific film career, starring in nine movies since 2023. Though some of these films were bombs, like the underperforming Americana and the critically panned Madame Web, Sweeney's R-rated thriller The Housemaid (2025) was a huge box office hit, raking in over $400 million worldwide and making it the highest-grossing movie of Sweeney's career. She'll be starring in its sequel, The Housemaid's Secret, in 2027.
Headlining a lucrative film franchise is a long way to come from the start of Sweeney's career, which began playing an unnamed character in NBC's polarizing sci-fi drama series, Heroes. Premiering in 2006, Heroes centered on a disparate group of regular people who suddenly find that they have extraordinary superpowers.
The series, which starred the late Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia, was almost immediately praised as one of the best sci-fi shows of the 21st century for its intriguing mystery-box hook and fresh, pre-MCU take on superhero tropes. Unfortunately, the show was unable to maintain the magic of its premise in subsequent seasons, and today, Heroes is largely considered one of the sci-fi genre's greatest television disappointments. However, despite its divisiveness, Heroeswill always be an important milestone in Sweeney's career.
Where To Find Sydney Sweeney In Heroes
As "Little Girl" in Heroes season 4, episode 4, "Hysterical Blindness", the then-12-year-old Sweeney didn't have a large part in the series. Though her part is described as "blink and you'll miss it" and entirely dialogue-free, Sweeney is seen in several shots at the beginning of the episode.
Hollywood · Rising Star Dossier How Well Do You Know Sydney Sweeney? From Euphoria to the big screen — test your knowledge
🎡EuphoriaCassie Howard
🏜White LotusOlivia Mossbacher
📸Anyone But YouBea
🎬RealityWinner
⛫ImmaculateSister Cecilia
01
Sydney Sweeney’s breakout role on HBO’s “Euphoria” earned her widespread recognition. What is the name of her character on the show?
✓ Correct! Sydney plays Cassie Howard, the emotionally vulnerable and people-pleasing teen whose turbulent love life becomes a central storyline. Her Season 2 performance — especially the iconic bathroom meltdown scenes — earned her an Emmy nomination.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Cassie Howard. Rue Bennett is Zendaya’s character, Maddy Perez is played by Alexa Demie, and Lexi Howard (Cassie’s sister) is played by Maude Apatow. Sydney’s Cassie became one of Season 2’s most talked-about characters.
02
In the first season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” Sydney plays a sharp, judgmental college student vacationing in Hawaii. What is her character’s name?
✓ Correct! Sydney plays Olivia Mossbacher, the privileged and intellectually pretentious daughter of the Mossbacher family. Her deadpan delivery and snobbish attitude made Olivia a fan-favorite character in Mike White’s satirical hit.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Olivia Mossbacher. Rachel is Alexandra Daddario’s character, Paula is Brittany O’Grady’s role (Olivia’s best friend), and Quinn is Olivia’s younger brother. Sydney’s Olivia steals every scene with her cutting commentary.
03
Before her major breakout, Sydney appeared in a critically acclaimed Hulu series based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. Which show was it?
✓ Correct! Sydney played Eden Spencer in Season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a devout and obedient young bride in the oppressive Gilead regime. Despite being a recurring role, her performance was emotionally devastating and showed her dramatic range early on.
✗ Not quite! The answer is The Handmaid’s Tale. Sydney played Eden Spencer, a 15-year-old bride in Gilead during Season 2. It was one of her first major prestige TV roles and demonstrated the dramatic talent that would later explode with Euphoria.
04
Sydney starred in the surprise rom-com hit “Anyone But You” (2023). Which actor plays her love interest, Ben, in the film?
✓ Correct! Glen Powell plays Ben opposite Sydney’s Bea in this modern retelling inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” The film became a sleeper box office hit, earning over $220 million worldwide and reviving the theatrical rom-com genre.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Glen Powell. While Jacob Elordi is Sydney’s Euphoria co-star, it’s Glen Powell who plays her enemies-to-lovers match in “Anyone But You.” The film’s massive success was credited to their electric chemistry.
05
Sydney starred in and produced the 2024 horror film “Immaculate.” Where is the film primarily set?
✓ Correct! “Immaculate” is set in a remote Italian convent where Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a young American nun who discovers the institution harbors terrifying secrets. Sydney also served as a producer on the film, marking a significant step in her behind-the-camera career.
✗ Not quite! The answer is a remote convent in the Italian countryside. Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a devout young nun who travels to Italy only to find herself trapped in a nightmare. The film was shot on location in Italy and showcased Sydney’s range as both star and producer.
06
Sydney made Emmy history in 2022 by earning two acting nominations in the same year for two different HBO shows. “Euphoria” was one — what was the other?
✓ Correct! In 2022, Sydney earned a Supporting Actress nomination for “Euphoria” and a Limited Series Supporting Actress nomination for “The White Lotus” — both on HBO. Being double-nominated across two of the network’s biggest shows cemented her as one of the most in-demand young actresses in Hollywood.
✗ Not quite! The answer is The White Lotus. Sydney’s dual nominations for Euphoria and The White Lotus in the same Emmy cycle was a remarkable achievement. Both shows were critical and commercial hits for HBO, and Sydney was central to each.
07
In the 2023 HBO film “Reality,” Sydney plays a real-life person — an NSA whistleblower who leaked classified documents to the press. Who did she portray?
✓ Correct! Sydney portrays Reality Winner, the former Air Force linguist and NSA contractor who was arrested in 2017 for leaking a classified report on Russian election interference. The film recreates her FBI interrogation using actual transcript recordings and was praised for Sydney’s riveting, restrained performance.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Reality Winner. The HBO film is based on the real FBI interrogation of Reality Winner, who leaked classified intelligence documents. Sydney’s intense, dialogue-driven performance was widely praised as some of her finest dramatic work.
08
Beyond acting, Sydney is known for an unusual hobby she’s been passionate about since she was a teenager, even earning a competition-level certification. What is it?
✓ Correct! Sydney is famously a trained MMA fighter and a gearhead who restores classic cars. She’s been passionate about mixed martial arts since high school and has also shared her love of working on vintage automobiles — hobbies that surprised fans who only knew her from her on-screen roles.
✗ Not quite! The answer is MMA training and restoring vintage cars. Sydney trained in MMA as a teenager and still practices. She’s also a self-taught mechanic who restores classic cars in her spare time — she’s shared her work on social media, showing there’s much more to her than meets the eye.
Spotlight · Final Review Your Fan Score
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Superfan or casual viewer?
After the Heroes title card, the show opens on members of the Sullivan Bros. Carnival going about their day. Sweeney first appears shortly after the one-minute mark, setting plates at a breakfast table with a younger boy. As everyone gathers to dine, carnival leader Samuel Sullivan (Robert Knepper) addresses the group, calling them family. The camera pans around the table, capturing each carnie listening to him speak, with Sweeney's "Little Girl" smiling at the two-minute, 30-second mark. She does not appear again after this scene.
Sydney Sweeney Made Other TV Appearances Early In Her Career
Though she wouldn't achieve her Euphoria success until a decade after her Heroes debut, Sweeney had plenty of TV work in the interim. After one-episode guest-starring stints in shows like Grey's Anatomy and Pretty Little Liar, Sweeney scored her first series regular role in the Netflix teen comedy, Everything Sucks!, in 2018. Though the series was tragically canceled after one season, the actress shone as Emaline Addario, a confident and popular theater kid exploring her sexuality.
2018 also saw Sweeney appear in much more serious fare, with dark turns in Sharp Objects and The Handmaid's Tale. One of HBO's most underrated thriller series, Sharp Objects centered on Camille Preaker (Amy Adams), a troubled journalist recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital. During her stay, she shared a room with a teenage girl named (Alice), who took her own life and whose death very much haunts Camille in the present.
As weighty as that part was, Sweeney's role in The Handmaid's Tale was truly harrowing. In a season 2 arc, she played Eden, a 15-year-old child bride gifted to Nick (Max Minghella) as a reward for his excellent work in serving the totalitarian regime of Gilead.
It's one of the most disturbing storylines in The Handmaid's Tale — which is saying something — and though it would have been disturbing regardless of Eden, Sydney Sweeney's nuanced performance as a teenage girl who just wants to be loved is what makes it so haunting. It was a glimpse at the actress's even more complex characters to come, and the making of a star.
Heroes
6/10
Release Date
2006 – 2010-00-00
Showrunner
Tim Kring
Directors
Allan Arkush, Jeannot Szwarc, Adam Kane, Greg Yaitanes, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Roxann Dawson, Paul A. Edwards, John Badham, Donna Deitch, Kevin Dowling, Seith Mann, Ron Underwood, Paul Shapiro, Lesli Linka Glatter, S.J. Clarkson, Daniel Attias, David Straiton, Kevin Bray, David Semel, Holly Dale, Ed Bianchi, Nathaniel Goodman, Christopher Misiano, Ernest R. Dickerson
