'Euphoria' Star Sydney Sweeney Says She Asked for Unnecessary Topless Scenes to Be Cut From Show

Sydney Sweeney is proud of the work she's done on Euphoria, whether or not critics have always recognized her for it. 

In a new interview with The Independent, Sweeney shared her frustration at being taken less seriously in her role as Cassie -- a girl who bounces from one long-term relationship to the next to cover up her need to be loved -- on the hit HBO series, all because she shows some skin.

"With The White Lotus, I felt like people were finally recognizing the hard work I’ve been doing," Sweeney, who has been a standout in her roles on The White Lotus and The Handmaid's Tale, said. "This is something that has bothered me for a while. I’m very proud of my work in Euphoria. I thought it was a great performance. But no one talks about it because I got naked."

"I do The White Lotus,  and all of a sudden critics are paying attention. People are loving me," she continued. "They’re going, 'Oh my God, what’s she doing next?' I was like, 'Did you not see that in Euphoria? Did you not see that in The Handmaid’s Tale?'"

Sweeney touched on the stigma that exists for actresses who get naked onscreen, adding that men are held to a different standard.

"When a guy has a sex scene or shows his body, he still wins awards and gets praise," she told the newspaper. "But the moment a girl does it, it’s completely different."

While Sweeney hasn't always felt like she can speak up on projects, that hasn't been the case working on Euphoria.

Sam [Levinson, the screenwriter] is amazing,” she said, "There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, 'I don’t really think that’s necessary here.' He was like, 'OK, we don’t need it.' I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me."

ET spoke with Sweeney and some of her castmates ahead of season 2's premiere earlier this month, where she discussed the show's much darker and chaotic second season.

“It’s quite an experience and a roller coaster," Sweeney said of her character, who's still reeling from the abortion she got in season 1 and figuring out what it means to be out of a relationship for once. Season 2 also has her navigating a tense friendship with Maddy (Alexa Demie), who is dealing with the fallout from her breakup with Nate (Jacob Elordi). 

"There is some wreckage. There’s definitely wreckage," she added. 

For more the show's second season, check out the video below.

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