Latest news with #FiftyFiftyFilms
Yahoo
3 days 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 chose not to even confirm her reported broken engagement from Davino in 2025 — and yet that consumed the Q1 gossip cycle. The fact that they still hang out and work together has only fueled the web talk. 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.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
One year after Hollywood producer said Sydney Sweeney is 'not pretty' and 'can't act', the actress appears to take subtle swipe at detractors
Sydney Sweeney, who was last year derided by a prominent female Hollywood producer for both her looks and her acting abilities, appears to have taken a subtle swipe at her detractor. The Anyone But You actress, 27, was publicly mocked by Carol Baum, whose films include Father of the Bride and Dead Ringers, on a New York stage in April 2024. Baum was in conversation with New York Times film critic Janet Maslin when she said the Euphoria star was 'not pretty' and 'can't act', while also labelling Sweeney's 2023 romcom 'unwatchable'. She later made a dramatic U-turn, however, saying that is isn't her style to be 'c**ping on an actor like that in public'. A spokesperson for Sweeney responded swiftly at the time, branding Baum 'shameful' for choosing to 'attack another woman', while the star's fans said it was an example of 'internal misogyny'. And, in an interview with The Times yesterday - published just over a year on from the debacle - Sweeney said: 'It's the women who give me the hardest time.' Sweeney neither named Baum nor referred directly to the shocking episode - but the comment nevertheless returned attention to Baum's very personal attack. The actress, who founded the production company Fifty-Fifty Films in 2020, suggested that people tend to assume she's less involved than she is. Sweeney told The Times: '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.' She explained that she had learnt to be 'very direct' and 'very blunt' before adding: 'To be honest, actually, I always find that it's the women who give me the hardest time.' Last April, in the aftermath of Baum's criticisms, a representative for Sweeney told MailOnline: 'How sad that a woman in the position to share her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman. 'If that's what she's learned in her decades in the industry and feels is appropriate to teach to her students, that's shameful. 'To unjustly disparage a fellow female producer speaks volumes about Ms Baum's character.' Baum was speaking with Maslin before an audience of fans when she made the comments following a screening of her 1988 film Dead Ringers starring Jeremy Irons. 'She's not pretty, she can't act,' said Baum, who later admitted that she had been inundated with hate mail from Sweeney's fans. 'There's an actress who everybody loves now – Sydney Sweeney. I don't get Sydney Sweeney.' Addressing her romcom Anything But You, in which she stars alongside Glen Powell, Baum continued: 'I was watching on the plane Sydney Sweeney's movie because I wanted to watch it. 'I wanted to know who she is and why everybody's talking about her. I watched this unwatchable movie – sorry to people who love this movie – [this] romantic comedy where they hate each other.' Referencing the producing class she teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Baum added: 'I said to my class, 'Explain this girl to me. She's not pretty, she can't act. Why is she so hot?'' 'Nobody had an answer but then the question was asked, 'Well if you could get your movie made because she was in it, would you do it?' 'I said, "well that's a really good a very hard question to answer because we all want to get the movie made and who walks away from a green light? Nobody I know. Your job is to get the movie made.' In yesterday's wide-ranging interview with The Times, Sweeney belatedly clarified the status of her relationship with fellow producer Jonathan Davino. The actress, who was seen without her engagement ring in February, came clean about the breakup when asked if she was planning a wedding. 'No,' was the answer. She answered 'yes,' when asked if she was single, adding: 'I'm learning a lot about myself, spending more time with my friends. And I'm loving it.' She and Davino, 41, had been together since 2018 and got engaged in 2022. He was a producer on her successful romcom, Anyone But You, co-starring Glen Powell. She and the 36-year-old Texan had such chemistry in the film that many wondered if they were a couple at the time - especially since they decided to lean into the spark while promoting the movie. 'Glenn and I adore each other, so I think we were so happy for the reception of the film,' she said, seeming to shut down any idea of a love connection. 'When you spend so much time with someone, you become close and you talk to each other about anything. 'So work, life, family, friends, he's just there for me. I'm there for him.' For now, Sweeney is happy to share snuggles and go on outdoor activities with her dogs Sully Bear and Tank, work on restoring vintage cars, and create a real estate empire. She already owns multi-million dollar homes in Los Angeles, South Florida and the Pacific Northwest. 'I'm obsessed with [property website] Zillow,' she explained. 'I'm learning a lot about myself, spending more time with my friends. And I'm loving it,' she told the outlet; Pictured with stylist Gigi Vittoria 'Right now I'm looking at New York, looking at Montana. Maine. Rhode Island. Texas, Italy, London — everywhere.' As she promotes Echo Valley, a mother-daughter drama co-starring Oscar winner Julianne Moore, the actress recognized a need to step away from working so much. 'I have to prove myself as a young woman, as an actor, as a businessperson — all of it,' she told the outlet. Regarding slowing down, The Handmaid's Tale actress said, 'I hear it more from my family than myself [they say] "Sydney, you're going to burn out. Sydney, you need to slow down. Sydney, you need to take a break".' Echo Valley debuts on Apple TV+ on June 13.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Sydney Sweeney says she has to ‘prove' herself as an actor and businessperson
Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has said she has to 'prove' herself as a young woman, actor and businessperson. The actress, 27, rose to fame after starring in the hit HBO series Euphoria, alongside Zendaya and Saltburn's Jacob Elordi, playing the popular and troubled high-school pupil Cassie. Advertisement Sweeney has since starred in the hit HBO TV show The White Lotus, playing spoiled Olivia Mossbacher in the first series, and stars alongside Julianne Moore in the upcoming thriller Echo Valley. Sydney Sweeney at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party (Doug Peters/PA) Speaking to the Sunday Times, she said: 'I have to prove myself as a young woman, as an actor, as a businessperson, all of it.' In 2020 she launched her own production company, Fifty-Fifty films, which was behind the hit romantic comedy Anyone But You which she starred in alongside US actor Glen Powell. Speaking about her role in the company, she said: '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. Advertisement 'To be honest, actually, I always find that it's the women who give me the hardest time.' She said this happens outside the boardroom and in auditions too. Sydney Sweeney said her fame has come at a cost (Doug Peters/PA) She said: 'I see it all the time where they don't think I am right for (a role) because they watched 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. Advertisement 'When I see a script or a character I find a little scary and it's going to challenge me and I don't know if I can pull it off, I've got to do it.' She has also starred in the blockbuster Madame Web and the horror mystery Immaculate, in which she plays an American nun whose new home in a convent in Italy proves to be not quite what it seems. Her fame, however, has come at a cost, and she has described the lack of privacy she now has. Sydney Sweeney said she has lost her privacy (Matt Crossick/PA) She added: '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.' Advertisement She also spoke about her long-term relationship with Anyone But You co-producer and ex-fiance Jonathan Davino, 41, adding that she is now single. She said: 'I'm learning a lot about myself, spending more time with my friends. And I'm loving it.' Sweeney received two Emmy Award nominations in 2022, one for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series for her role as Cassie in Euphoria, and the other for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie for her role in The White Lotus.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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."
