Sydney Sweeney says she booked more roles with her hair dyed blonde: 'No one really knew me as brunette'
One would be hard pressed to find a young star as busy as 25-year-old Sydney Sweeney. The actress — who became a household name thanks to roles in shows like Sharp Objects, The Handmaid’s Tale, Euphoria and The White Lotus — is now taking on a new role in the industry. She has a full production slate through her company Fifty-Fifty Films, and is currently filming her first movie where she’s both starring and wearing the producer’s hat. In order to live the go, go, go lifestyle, Sweeney requires self-care practices.
“I really just take every minute of every day as it is. I make sure I wake up within enough time to hydrate myself, to have a good skincare routine, and then go to work and enjoy every minute of it,” she tells Yahoo Life.
Hydration, for Sweeney, who has a new partnership with Bai and their antioxidant-infused WonderWater, is especially key. “I took a pledge to only drink water and I’ve stuck with it,” the actress, who once claimed to have never tried coffee, says of one way she’s tried to stay healthy over the years. This year, she's making a small concession to her promise by introducing flavored water into her repertoire, with Bai's blueberry and strawberry lemonade flavors being her favorite go-to drinks. "My daily water routine hasn’t been the same."
The actress also prioritizes communication when it comes to managing her mental health, especially when she’s on set away from loved ones. “Once work is done, I call my parents, call my friends and stay in touch with everybody,” she says.
Sweeney also stays in touch with her more than 14 million fans on Instagram — though social media often comes with pitfalls. In May 2021, she got vulnerable with her followers when she called out online bullies who commented on her appearance. In a video of herself wearing her Snuggie — makeup smudged from tears — Sweeney reminded the internet that she’s a “f***ing person,” noting, “it’s really important for people to see how words actually affect people.”
Less than two years later, Sweeney tells Yahoo Life, “I’ve definitely learned that everyone is on their own journey in life, and it’s important to understand that and know that everyone is in different places with themselves, and with the world. I try not to compare myself to anybody, and I just look at my own path, and hope that what I’m doing is the best that I can do for myself and hopefully sharing love and happiness for everyone else.”
While Sweeney may be known for her high-fashion looks on the red carpet and trend-making outfits (such as her internet-breaking micro mini skirt) she admits “the person that people think of as the ‘celebrity’ isn’t really me as Syd."
“I’m not just the Sydney you see on red carpets or in photo shoots,” she adds.
In fact, when it comes to personal style, she admits she’s “more low-key” than people might expect.
“I’m more of a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl, comfy clothes,” she says. “I definitely am always interested in fashion and trying to incorporate it into my life, but it’s fun to dress up when I have to dress up and be comfy when I need to be comfy.”
More recently, she’s also reclaiming a part of her identity — her original hair color.
“I’m naturally a brunette — almost all of my life I was a brunette,” the star explains. “I highlighted my hair for Everything Sucks, but I really went blonde for Euphoria. There was this complex where no one really knew me as brunette Syd, and I didn’t really book as much as I did when I was blonde — but I’m back to brunette because the blonde was killing my hair, and I needed to grow it out a little bit. I kind of feel like I’m myself again.”
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