Latest news with #Fifty-FiftyFilms
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sydney Sweeney and the business of being hot
Sydney Sweeney is a Hollywood supernova, making a dizzying amount of moves professionally, yet social media is consumed with the superficial. She's using it to her advantage. Look no further than the announcement that the Anyone but You star's brand partnership with men's bath product Dr. Squatch will now include a limited edition line of soap bars infused with her bathwater. Sweeney said the idea was born from 'dirty little boys' who 'wouldn't stop asking' for it after she first partnered with the company last year for a sultry campaign shot in a bubble bathtub. She's not exaggerating: A comment from the original Instagram ad from October 2024 asking, 'how much for the water,' has nearly 40,000 likes. Dr. Squatch called Sweeney 'a legend' for agreeing to create the bathwater soap, which the brand says smells like 'morning wood.' Sweeney's either a genius or desperate, according to social media. While we won't make that call, we'll observe that there is such digital discourse around her — her beauty, her body and especially her love life. So who could blame the actress, who's been praised as 'business-minded' and 'ambitious' by her Anyone but You costar Glen Powell for orchestrating their fauxmance to market their hit rom-com, for taking it to the bank? Sweeney is a studio moneymaker. The films she acted in, as of press time, have earned $244,399,399 worldwide, according to the Numbers. She's also a storytelling mover and shaker through her production company, Fifty-Fifty Films, which she cofounded in 2020 with her producing partner and former fiancé Jonathan Davino. The films she's produced have made $243,952,681 worldwide. Yet her love life drives much of the conversation around her. Sweeney initially chose not to even confirm her broken engagement with Davino, after she stopped wearing her engagement ring in February, and yet that consumed the Q1 gossip cycle. She told the Times of London in a May 31 story that she is single and "learning a lot about myself." The bigger story has become who she'll date next. Social media went cray-cray when, after her Davino split, she attended Powell's sister's wedding. Had the costars coupled up? Apparently no. But the idea that this smoldering movie scene could be reality just wound up the masses. There was yet another fervor when Sweeney was close-talking with her costar in The Housemaid, Brandon Sklenar, at Stagecoach in April. Just talking to her former Downfalls High costar Machine Gun Kelly and White Lotus actor Patrick Schwarzenegger at a Las Vegas party in May led to a 'flirty threesome' headline — among other suggestive gossip. She can't even stand next to a man without a flurry of innuendo. Social media isn't just obsessed with Sweeney's love life; there's plenty more trivial chatter to go around. Almost as soon as she broke through in Hollywood, discourse about her looks and body began. In December, trolls posted cruel comments after she muscled up to play boxer Christy Martin. It's not just the random keyboard warriors having their say. Veteran film producer Carol Baum said that Sweeney is 'not pretty' and 'can't act' and called Anyone but You 'unwatchable.' In response, Sweeney called Hollywood's 'women empowering other women' movement a facade. She also let her style make a statement, mock apologizing for having 'great tits.' Why are people so shallow when it comes to Sweeney? Turns out, it's an age-old formula of stardom plus gender. 'When the concept of Hollywood stardom first emerged in the 1910s, much of the original discourse focused on actors as picture personalities, which meant that fan culture focused on the various onscreen roles actors had played,' Claire Sisco King, Vanderbilt University's associate professor and chair of Cinema and Media Arts, tells Yahoo Entertainment. 'Pretty quickly, however, this discourse began to focus as much on the private lives of stars as it did on their work,' as fan magazine coverage began to extend to the love lives of stars in the 1920s. Now, 100 years later, that coverage has not only persisted but also intensified due to the rise of reality TV coupled with the boom of social media, which has 'created heightened audience expectations of access to and intimacy with famous people,' King says. There is a more critical lens on females than males, 'which is in keeping with traditional gender norms in our culture,' King says. 'While it has been historically acceptable for men to have professional lives and to be associated with the public sphere, U.S. culture still tends to expect that women be tied to concepts of home, family and love. Discourse about Hollywood often insists that women be attached to men in adherence with these traditional gender norms.' It's common for internet culture 'to fixate on the romantic lives of famous women,' King says, 'and the treatment of Sydney Sweeney is in keeping with these patterns. Such emphasis especially applies to women who are constructed as 'bombshells' because so much of their persona becomes attached to their perceived attractiveness and appeal as objects of desire for heterosexual men.' When it comes to Sweeney being connected to her romantic leads, that's also typical because it 'helps to preserve the fantasy that audiences enjoy when they watch fictional love stories that feel as if they could be real.' Sweeney wisely leaned in on that fantasy with Anyone but You when she and Powell pretended there could be something going on to help market the movie. That was part of the film's success. But female actresses walk a fine line. Anytime women take roles that are outside the box we see them in, people view it 'as a kind of betrayal,' says King. For Sweeney, 'An example of this inverse perspective [is] when many fans — especially men — expressed dislike at the change in her appearance while shooting the Martin biopic.' While the social media noise blasts, Sweeney is methodically plotting her career — and building up her bank account. Just a handful of film projects she has slated are starring roles: the Martin biopic, a screen adaptation of the video game Split Fiction, the psychological thriller The Housemaid and a long-awaited Barbarella remake. As she did with Anyone but You, she will again double-dip and produce all four. Sweeney has talked about being hands-on when it comes to producing projects, saying she kept Sony's marketing team 'awake at night because I couldn't stop with ideas' around Anyone but You. She said she was on every call and in text group chats. With the confidence of a seasoned Hollywood player, Sweeney said she accepts roles — like in 2024's disappointing-and-she-knew-it Madame Web — as a 'building block' in getting her own projects made. 'Everything in my career I do not just for that story, but strategic business decisions,' she said. 'Because I did that, I was able to sell Anyone but You [and] get Barbarella.' Sweeney's business sense extends to money management. She's called herself a 'huge saver,' explaining, 'I don't just go and spend money. I like to invest. I like real estate. I like making, hopefully, smart choices with the money I'm making.' There's a personal reason behind that: Sweeney's parents went through bankruptcy when she was young. Despite her stardom, she worries about how much money she has going in and out. She's said that if she didn't take brand partnerships — like Dr. Squatch but also beauty (Laneige) and fashion brands (Miu Miu) — on the side, she couldn't pay her bills. Sweeney's business acumen has been praised by not just her costars but also by executives and collaborators. Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group head Tom Rothman called her a 'force of nature' and said the studio is lucky to be in business with her. Jessica Goodman, whose YA novel They Wish They Were Us is being adapted into a series by Sweeney, called her 'very savvy' with an ability 'to get things done in a way that might surprise people.' Jennifer Millar, Sweeney's talent agent for over a decade, has said, 'From the beginning she knew what she wanted. She knew how she was going to get there, and she's been doing it.' Sweeney is, after all, the same girl who, at 12, made a PowerPoint presentation to convince her parents to allow her to pursue acting. Her pitch worked and has paid off. It's paying off again as she turns leering comments into a money-making brand campaign for soap, which has resulted in her very own product. And people are lapping it up.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Sydney Sweeney has become more 'guarded'
Sydney Sweeney has become more "guarded" since shooting to fame. The 27-year-old actress has been working in show business since she was a teenager but her fame has increased over the last few years after she landed a high profile role in TV series 'Euphoria' and went on to star in 'The White Lotus', rom-com 'Anyone but You' and Marvel movie 'Madame Web' - and Sydney admits being well-known is difficult because she had "no idea" how much she valued her privacy until she lost it. She told The Times newspaper: "I've always been guarded. Definitely more so now. You let a few people in who you trust ... "A lot is gone, like privacy. Which is huge. You don't realise how much that means until you lose it. I see all the time: 'Oh, they sold themselves, they knew what they were signing up for.' But 18-year-old me had no idea what she was signing up for." Sydney went on to admit it is women who give her "the hardest time", insisting she has to work hard to be taken seriously in her work. She explained: "I have to be like, I want to be in the room, I want to sit in every single meeting and want to be involved in every decision, I want to be taken seriously as a producer. "I'm very direct, I'm very blunt ... To be honest, actually, I always find that it's the women who give me the hardest time ... "I see it all the time [in auditions] where they don't think I am right for [a role] because they watched [her character] Cassie in 'Euphoria'. "Especially because Cassie was such a sexualised character - that puts a wall up for people. I feel like I'm constantly having to be like, no, no, I'm an actor, I'm supposed to be different characters." It comes after Sydney - who now has her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films - admitted the entertainment industry is tough, but she continues to be fascinated by it. She told Empire: "This industry is so fascinating. There are so many chats, pieces and moves to make, and I find that really exhilarating. "It's constantly changing. I love acting, but being able to step outside of that and then see how everything comes together, and understand what every crew member needs and what it takes to get a project from imagination to conception ... "When people see it in the theatres or on screen, it's been a really long, hard process, but I love it."
Time Business News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Business News
Sydney Sweeney Measurements, Career & Personal Life in 2025
Sydney Bernice Sweeney has rapidly become one of Hollywood's most admired young actresses, known for her captivating performances and growing influence behind the scenes. Central to her appeal is not only her talent but also her confident embrace of her natural look, making Sydney Sweeney measurements a topic of interest among fans and media alike. Born on September 12, 1997, in Spokane, Washington, Sydney stands at 5 feet 3½ inches (161 cm) tall. Her body measurements are 35-24-34 inches, and she weighs approximately 54 kg (119 lbs), with a US dress size of 6. Sydney proudly promotes body positivity, encouraging fans to embrace authenticity rather than conforming to unrealistic beauty standards. Sydney's breakthrough role came with the HBO series Euphoria , where she played Cassie Howard—a deeply emotional and complex character. This role earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination and showcased her immense acting range. She further expanded her portfolio with roles in The White Lotus , Madame Web , and Anyone But You , the latter also marking her debut as an executive producer. In 2020, Sydney launched Fifty-Fifty Films, her own production company, demonstrating her ambition to shape her projects creatively and professionally. Upcoming films such as the biopic Scandalous! and the thriller The Housemaid will see her both star and produce, highlighting her evolving role in the industry. Sydney's family remains a strong support system. Her parents, both lawyers, moved to Los Angeles to support her journey. After ending her engagement with Jonathan Davino in 2025, Sydney has focused on her career and creative ventures. She also shares a close friendship with Zendaya, with whom she often publicly supports and collaborates. Outside of acting, Sydney enjoys hobbies like photography, antique collecting, cooking, and interior design. Her passion for comfort food has even inspired her dream of opening a food cart or small eatery in the future. With an estimated net worth exceeding $12 million in 2025, Sydney Sweeney's combination of talent, business savvy, and authenticity cements her status as a rising star to watch. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
NDTV
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Sydney Sweeney Is Selling Her Used Bathwater As A Bar Of Soap For $8
We all know Sydney Sweeney as a talented actress, a style diva and the founder of the production company Fifty-Fifty Films. Along with all these glorious titles, Sydney has now stepped into the beauty sector by launching limited-edition soaps in collaboration with men's grooming brand Dr. Squatch. The real highlight of the product? It is made from Sweeney's used bathwater. The Euphoria actress announced the news in an Instagram post on Thursday. She wrote, "You kept asking about my bathwater after the @drsquatch ad… so we kept it. Introducing Sydney's Bathwater Bliss! A very real, very limited-edition soap made with my actual bathwater." Sweeney's fans had mixed reactions to the new launch. While some called it the "best marketing gimmick" they had ever seen, others commented, "Sydney, honey, I love you, but I don't know about this." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney) What Is It Sidney's Bathwater Bliss is a medium-grit exfoliating soap made with pine bark extract, sand and a touch of the actress's bathwater. In terms of scent, the soap bar transports consumers to the forest with scents of pine, Douglas fir and earthy moss, as well as Sidney's actual bathtub. As per a report by People, Sydney Sweeney said, 'It's weird in the best way, and I love that we created something that's not just unforgettable, it actually smells incredible and delivers like every other Dr. Squatch product I love. Hopefully, this helps guys wake up to the realities of conventional personal care products and pushes them towards natural.' How Much Will It Cost The limited edition soap will be launched on June 6 and costs $8 a bar. Before the soap's official release, 100 customers will have the opportunity to enter a competition to win a bar of Sydney's Bathwater Bliss. To win, they will have to follow Dr Squatch Instagram page, like the post and leave a comment. Or, one can enter via the online form by June 4. The form is available in their official page. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr. Squatch (@drsquatch) After going on sale, a total of 5,000 bars of the soap will be available to buy on the Dr. Squatch website.
Perth Now
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
The entertainment industry is fascinating, says Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney is fascinated by the entertainment industry. The 27-year-old actress has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years, starring in 'Euphoria' and 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' - and Sydney has admitted to loving every aspect of the industry. The blonde beauty - who now has her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films - told Empire: "This industry is so fascinating. "There are so many chats, pieces and moves to make, and I find that really exhilarating. It's constantly changing. "I love acting, but being able to step outside of that and then see how everything comes together, and understand what every crew member needs and what it takes to get a project from imagination to conception ... When people see it in the theatres or on screen, it's been a really long, hard process, but I love it." Sydney starred alongside Glen Powell in 'Anyone but You', the 2023 rom-com. The movie proved to be a hit with fans, but was widely panned by critics. Sydney reflected: "Critics all have their own opinions, and you can't just try and make critics happy, because you're not thinking about everybody else. It's a different process and a different experience." Sydney previously admitted that she would "absolutely love" to work with Glen again. The actress told Vanity Fair's 2025 Hollywood Issue: "We definitely are very supportive of each other's careers. We watch and talk about each other's projects all the time, or even if we're both debating between projects, we'll call each other up and ask for advice. "I just saw him last week and we were talking through some projects, so we definitely have a really great working relationship. We would absolutely love to work on something else together." 'Anyone but You' actually became a big success despite having a modest opening at the box office. Reflecting on the film's popularity, Sydney shared: "It was all because of the fans. "I loved it. I felt like none of it was forced on the audience. They really fell in love with it themselves and they shared that love with everybody. I love that the marketing came from them."
