‘She persevered and won!’: Sydney Sweeney almost missed out on becoming a box office queen, thanks to ‘Euphoria’

In show business, missed opportunities are a dime a dozen. All it takes is a schedule shift for you to miss out on the role of a lifetime. Thankfully, Sydney Sweeney dodged such a bullet.

While the world at large is over the idea of Euphoria’s return, Sweeney’s revealed that her Emmy-nominated role in the polarizing teen drama almost cost her a life-changing role in none other than Anyone But You. And while the rom-com has cemented the starlet as one of Hollywood’s most exciting and bankable fresh talents, we may have been singing a different song today.

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As one of the faces of Vanity Fair’s iconic Hollywood issue, Sydney Sweeney revealed that waiting on Euphoria almost derailed her career’s trajectory. As an actor and producer, she eventually had to put her foot down and chase after the projects of her dreams. She also mentioned that she missed out on an undisclosed project because she was waiting for Euphoria season 3 to start filming. However, she locked in and went ahead with Anyone but You. And boy did it pay off!

There were definitely a few projects that I had to pass on because I was supposed to be going back to Euphoria. But because I am producing now, I was able to say, ‘You know what? I don’t think this is happening. I’m going to put some of my own projects on the slate.’ That’s how Anyone but You happened. Euphoria was supposed to start filming, and I had another film that I was supposed to do, but we couldn’t get cleared and after a few weeks, I realized, This is not happening. So I put in full gear to make Anyone but You.

As an X user put it, “She persevered and won!” Anyone But You became a box office smash, earning over $200 million against a $25 million budget. The film reignited conversations about how romantic comedies are now missing from the big screen, and further propelled Sweeney and co-star Glen Powell to even greater fame. Sweeney has since shared that she’s open to a sequel.

The looming Euphoria rut

Gone are the days when teen dramas boasted 20-episode seasons on a yearly basis. Hilariously, and rather disappointingly, Euphoria made its debut in 2019, and has only delivered 18 episodes in the span of five years. As such, the cast and crew have been chasing other acting endeavors since then. 

Among the crop is Sweeney, who has made sure the unwarranted hiatus has not gone to waste. Since the series premiere, she has starred in multiple projects across film and television. She received rave reviews for her performance in the horror movie Immaculate, and while Madame Web bombed at the box office, it was one of the catalysts that helped Anyone but You get greenlit. 

All in all, waiting on Euphoria, amidst delays, hiatuses, and schedule shifts has ultimately worked in Sweeney’s favor. With Anyone but You reviving the idea of rom-coms in theaters, the actress may as well have helped kickstart an important movement. So, while Euphoria continues to drag along, Sweeney’s doing just fine, and if the teen drama were to remain in development hell for much longer, it will award the young bright stars the time and opportunity to pursue more projects, effectively diversifying their portfolios in the process.