Sydney Sweeney Was Told Not To Audition For Her Most Beloved Role

Even if you haven't seen HBO's "Euphoria" — in which case, I urge you to watch it because it's one of those super-hyped, controversial, and thought-provoking shows that's actually worth every minute if you dig good TV — you've likely heard about its scandals and multiple controversies. Most of those revolve around creator Sam Levinson's allegedly odd behavior, the rampant drug abuse in the series, and the excessive nudity involving mainly Sydney Sweeney's character, Cassie, an insecure and sexy blonde who falls for her best friend's boyfriend.

Undeniably, this is the role that catapulted the young actress into worldwide stardom. She's been in the zeitgeist ever since, appearing in various supporting roles left and right, including in Tarantino's beloved "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood" and Mike White's extremely popular "The White Lotus," as well as starring in features practically built on her potent screen presence, like "Reality" and "Nocturne." She already has a massive and steadily growing fanbase, and considering she's already cast to play female boxing legend Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic, her star could shine even brighter in Hollywood. What many might not know, however, is that Sweeney's breakout role in "Euphoria" almost didn't happen because she was initially advised not to turn up to audition, since the casting director thought she wasn't right for Cassie at all.

Although Sweeney was only in her early 20s when "Euphoria" happened, she'd already been working as an actress for a decade. Arguably one of the most important moments of her career came when she was nearly denied an audition to play Cassie on the zeitgeisty HBO drama. The story was revealed during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

"'Euphoria's" casting director didn't think she was right for the role of Cassie and that she shouldn't bother coming in to audition. Her agent — she's been with the same reps at Paradigm for her entire career— had other clients who'd gone in to read for the part and was willing to pass Sweeney the script. She eventually put herself on tape, reading with her mom, and sent it to the "Euphoria" team. They booked her directly."

Despite the initial slight from the casting director, Sweeney said that she harbors no ill feelings for the professional — in fact, Sweeney says she "loves her now." Well, folks, that's the type of attitude that can propel someone ahead in this line of work. Frankly, we should take note of how gracefully and calmly Sweeney handled this situation. But make no mistake, the really admirable thing here is that after being completely dismissed, the actress went ahead and did her thing anyway, which landed her the breakout role. Being cool about it later is just the cherry on top.

You can stream "Euphoria" on HBO Max.