Sydney Sweeney has addressed criticism of her explicit scenes in the third season of HBO's 'Euphoria,' emphasizing that her portrayal of Cassie Howard is an act of professionalism, not personal endorsement. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the 28-year-old actress stated that while she does not personally agree with Cassie's choices, her role as an actor requires her to embody the character fully. 'I’m playing a character,' Sweeney said. 'Do I agree with all of Cassie’s decisions? Would I personally make these choices? No, of course not.' She also revealed that a pole dancing scene was cut from the season.
Sweeney defended her decision to perform nude scenes, stating that they are part of Cassie's storyline and necessary to bring creator Sam Levinson's vision to life. 'I’m an actor and that’s my job and this is Cassie’s life,' she explained. 'To be able to do her justice and play her how she’s to be played is to bring Sam’s vision to life.'
The actress also addressed backlash over Cassie's OnlyFans storyline, clarifying that her character's actions do not reflect her own views. 'From the very beginning, you can see that Cassie has this need to be loved,' Sweeney said. 'She has a need to be validated by other people.' She acknowledged that Cassie's choices in Season 3 were driven by a desire for validation and recognition.
Sweeney previously defended her scenes on Instagram, writing, 'it’s called… acting.' She also shared behind-the-scenes photos from the show, including some of her most provocative looks. Some viewers have criticized the show for oversexualizing its characters, particularly given that they were high schoolers in earlier seasons. Levinson told The New York Times that he had initially considered not including nudity in the show.