Sydney Sweeney is on a roll. Just weeks after she captivated The White Lotus [1] fans in her role as Olivia Mossbacher, she'll now be starring as a vampire alongside Megan Fox [2] in the upcoming Netflix movie, Night Teeth. And not just that, but she'll also be starring in the thriller The Voyeurs, on Amazon Prime Video. Basically, you're about to see her everywhere.
Whether you've been following Sydney since her Handmaid's Tale [3] days or you've only recently discovered her, there's a lot to know about the Washington-state native. From her favourite hobbies to her hardcore dedication to acting, Sydney is full of surprises. Ahead, find out some fun facts about the actress that you never would've guessed.
She Writes Books on Her Characters
When Sydney's getting to know her characters, she doesn't take any shortcuts. In fact, Sydney writes (literal) novels on every character she plays. "I have 100-page journals on each of my characters [4]... I literally build from the hospital, from the day they're born and the daycare that they go to," she told Who What Wear.
Sydney said this much research helps her play a character without having to wonder what they might do or say in any situation. "The reason we sit a certain way or we look at a person a certain way, it all comes from some memory from our past that we may not be able to put our finger on. But it's what made us who we are today," she said.
She Has a Production Company
When she's not acting, Sydney is looking for her next great project. Her production company, Fifty-Fifty Films [5], helps her bring projects with strong female leads to life. And yes, she's always been this ambitious.
"I always knew that I wanted to do something in the business space," Sydney told Who What Wear. "Behind the camera, I thoroughly enjoy building these books for my characters, and I always have wanted to take it to the next step of building the entire world." As for her favourite stories to produce? "I'm all over the place with genres, but I love a fantasy," she said.
She's a Mixed Martial Arts Fighter
Sydney's not afraid of a challenge, [6] whether it's inhabiting complex characters or taking on opponents in a mixed martial arts ring. She's been leaving it all on the mat since high school.
"I started when I was 14 and did my first competition at 18," she told Marie Claire. "It was a grappling competition against all guys a weight category above me, and I got first place. Those guys were probably saying, 'Oh, we didn't want to hurt her,' but they were definitely trying. Everyone broke a sweat!"
She Fixes Cars in Her Spare Time
When she's not memorizing lines or searching for her next series, Sydney spends her free time in the garage. Currently, she's throwing herself into a special project: rebuilding a 1969 Ford Bronco. [7] She told Who What Wear that she's spent hours working on it, from installing the transmission herself to switching the car from manual to automatic.
She's Always in Search of a Good Book
Sydney is a total bookworm. According to Who What Wear, she devours around three books a week. [8] But she reads for more than simple pleasure. When she finds a winner (like Jessica Goodman's They Wish They Were Us), she says she can immediately picture it onscreen.
"As I was reading it, I automatically saw the entire thing in my head," she told Who What Wear. "And when I can visually see it in my head, I knew that I could do this. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I knew that I could do it." After getting singer Halsey on board to star in the show, Sydney pitched her project to Goodman, and it all came together. You can watch it soon as The Players Table, an upcoming HBO Max series.
She Gets Her Love of Horror Movies From Her Dad
Sydney's played her fair share of creepy roles, and she says her love of horror comes from her dad. [9] "When I was growing up we watched all the necessary, John Carpenter [movies], and the Scary movies and the Halloweens," she told Nylon. "I even love the cheesy ones like Halloweentown [10]."