Sydney Sweeneyis one of the biggest rising stars in the movie industry right now, but it’s her television roles that initially rocketed her to fame. She’s been crowned one of the young Hollywood elite, and withfour more movies to come in the back half of 2025, it’s hard to deny that claim.
However, for all the rom-coms with Glen Powell, slow-burn dramas likeReality, superhero films, and horror blockbusters likeImmaculate, television is where audiences first came to know the actress. Even when she’s only in a show for one episode,she brings all her skill and charisma, no matter the screentime.
6Willa (1 Episode, 2017)
Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)
Pretty Little Liarsis based on the novel series by Sara Shepard, and consists of 160 episodes over 7 seasons. The series, set in the town of Rosewood, PA, follows a group of high school girls whose secrets are constantly threatened to be exposed by a mysterious stranger known only as “A”.
Willa can be considered the new Spencer Hastings, as they have similar lines and roles in the finale and pilot, respectively.
While the series finale was not well-received and felt likea betrayal for all the fans who stuck around, it’s hard to say it wasn’t surprising. Season 7, episode 20, “Till Death Do Us Part”, features a ridiculous twist, and it also featuresSydney Sweeney as a new character named Willa who has the final line of the show.
Willa is friends with Addison (Ava Allan) and Hadley (Celesse Rivera), and at the end of the episode, Hadley wakes up to find that her friends have disappeared. Hadley finds Willa, who says she thinks she heard someone scream, mirroring the pivotal scene in the pilot. It’s a small part, but one that brings the show full circle.
5Emaline Addario (10 Episodes, 2018)
Everything Sucks! (2018)
Everything Sucks!was supposed to be Sydney Sweeney’s big break, but thenNetflix canceled the series after only one season. Still, it’s an enjoyable series with a strong performance from Sweeney. The teen comedy drama series is set in the real-life town of Boring, Oregon, in 1996 and follows the lives of the students at the local high school.
The A/V Club and the Drama Club are the social outcasts of the school, but when plans for the school play are upended, the two clubs endeavor to make a movie to show the school instead.Sweeney co-stars as Emaline Addario, a junior in the drama clubwho has a tendency to be overdramatic herself.
Everything Sucks!
Cast
Set in the 1990s, Everything Sucks! follows the lives of high school misfits in Boring, Oregon, as they navigate the trials of adolescence, including friendships, budding romances, and the clash between the A/V Club and Drama Club.
This is like a test run for Sweeney’s character inEuphoria, though much more down-to-earth and sure of herself. She’s the object of affection for the boys and girls in school, but mostly marches to the beat of her own drum. It’s a fun and charming performance, and it’s immediately obvious why everyone is so fond of her.
4Eden Blaine (7 Episodes, 2018)
The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-2025)
In another early TV role for Sydney Sweeney, she has a recurring part inThe Handmaid’s Taleas Eden Blainein season 2.The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the famed novel by Margaret Atwood, depicts a totalitarian version of America where women have been relegated to subservient roles in society.
Eden Blaine is a pious and obedient young Handmaid who was young at the time of Gilead’s rise, meaning she’s been raised in the life and truly believes in the goals of the state.She is married off to Nick Blaine (Max Minghella) in a childbride ceremonyand appears more committed to consummating the marriage than her older husband.
She is quickly disillusioned with her lifeas a Handmaid and attempts to run away, resulting in her death, one which she proudly walks into. It’s a short but remarkable character arc, and Sweeney pulls off both the early stages of the character and shows the slow change that comes over her character in a realistic and gripping fashion.
3Alice (7 Episodes, 2018)
Sharp Objects (2018)
Sharp Objectsis one of thebest miniseries HBO has to offer, which means it’s one of the best miniseries you can find anywhere. Adapted from Gillian Flynn’s 2006 debut novel,Sharp Objectsfollows Camille Preaker (Amy Adams), a troubled but talented reporter sent back to her hometown to investigate the murder of two girls.
With a 92% rating onRotten Tomatoes,Sharp Objectsstands as the highest-rated series in Sydney Sweeney’s body of work
Before the series begins,Camille goes into a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt. There, she meets Alice (Sydney Sweeney), a young girl with similar mental health difficulties as Camille. The pair bond and a sisterly relationship develop between the two, one of the few healthy relationships Camille has.
It’s an incredibly mature performance from Sweeney, who has to behave like a lost child in one scene, and in the next, a world-weary young woman who seems to be more disappointed in life than other people her age. She doesn’t have a lot of screentime, but it’s enough to make her fate all the more gutwrenching.
2Olivia Mossbacher (6 Episodes, 2021)
The White Lotus (2021-Present)
The White Lotusseason 1 spawned one of HBO’s most celebrated recent TV series, and it’s this first, Hawaiian-set season that drew people into the exciting and often eye-rolling world of the White Lotus resorts. It’s also the first time Sydney Sweeney revealed she had more range than previously thought.
Sweeneyco-stars inThe White Lotusseason 1as Olivia Mossbacher, the oldest daughter of the Mossbachers, who invites her college friend, Paula (Brittany O’Grady), along on the trip.Olivia is the stereotypical annoying Gen Z college student. She’s sarcastic and interested in social justice movements without always understanding them.
However, despite her “big sister” energy and ignorance of how Paula perceives her,she’s given a lot of layers by Sweeney. Olivia is calculating and smart and perhaps ignorant of her own upbringing, but at the same time, she does seem to really love her family. She’s also much quicker to forgive and forget than you may initiallly assume.
1Cassie Howard (24 Episodes, 2019-Present)
Euphoria (2019-Present)
Sydney Sweeney’s performance inEuphoriaas Cassie Howard is one of the best TV performances in recent years and often isthe sole reason some of the weaker episodes of the HBO drama hold up well. The series follows the lives of a group of high schoolers who use sex and drugs as escapes.
Perhaps most importantly, and why Cassie is Sydney Sweeney’s best TV character, is that Cassie is extremely funny as well, often breaking the tension with her actions and blow-ups.
Cassie is Lexi’s (Maude Apatow) older sister, and when their father abandoned their family, she took it particularly hard. It’s suggested that this instance has caused her to seek out male attention in ways that often end up being a detriment, and she’s viewed as promiscuous by fellow students and adults.
There is so much more to Cassie, however, and Sweeney’s performance brings a lot of pathos and sadness to the character that is moving to watch. Perhaps most importantly, and why Cassie isSydney Sweeney’s best TV character, is that Cassie is extremely funny as well, often breaking the tension with her actions and blow-ups.
EuphoriaSeason 3
