ELLE US lines up major Hollywood female talent for its November 2022 issue. Sydney Sweeney Brings the Chill is our first focus, as writer Samuel Maude probes the private thoughts of Hollywood’s newest It Girl.

Alex White styles Sweeney in luxe sensuality from Emporio Armani, Fendi, La Perla, Miu Miu, Ralph Lauren and more, with jewelry from Bulgari, Piaget and killer pumps from Gianvito Rossi and Giuseppe Zanotti. Photographer Sharif Hamza [IG] is behind the lens, capturing Sydney Sweeney as ‘The Rising Star’ Hollywood Woman./ Hair by Hos Hounkpatin; makeup by Melissa Hernandez

A Decade of Hard Work Pays Off

Sydney Sweeney earned two Emmy nominations in 2022, both for HBO roles: 1) a best supporting actress in a drama series nod for playing Cassie Howard, a self-destructive high schooler on HBO’s ‘Euphoria’; and 2) best supporting actress in a limited series for her role as Olivia Mossbacher, in Mike White’s ‘The White Lotus.’

“I’m able to just jump into who they are, and I know how they will react to something because of what has happened in their past,” Sweeney told the press after hearing the nominations news and weeping with her mother. “I’m able to flesh out these fully vivid characters because I’ve given them life through the work that I put into it.”

Fans Who Are Actually Waiting for Your Downfall

Sweeney continues to press her foot to the hard work accelerator, leaving her refreshingly honest and a bit disappointed in being judged by the public — or taken out of context as she tells ELLE:

“Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and I love kids. I love their imaginations and think they’re a beautiful source of light. And I think that it’s the most normalcy that I’ll be able to achieve in my lifetime.”
“I was asked if I wanted to have a family and I said yes. And then I was asked why I didn’t have one yet, and I was like, I don’t have time to take even, like, a six-month break. Like, I don’t have time to be able to start this family. I’m working so much and I’m focusing on that right now. And so it was kind of skewed with the public and taken out of context, which was insane to watch and kind of disappointing, too, because I think that being a mother, and a working mother, is really important. I really want to achieve that one day. So I was disappointed that people took my words and changed them [to serve] their own agenda.”

In a heart beat, Sweeney’s comments in this anonymous prior interview were totally taken out of context by her public, transforming her into the self-absorbed feminist overnight. The experience prompts the actor to tell ELLE:

“People like to say they support you and they want to see you succeed. But I find that a lot of them are actually just waiting for your downfall.”

Next up? Marvel’s ‘Madame Web’. “I fought for the character,” Sweeney says of the role. “It’s been a really incredible journey that I’m very, very excited to be a part of.”

Sony has zipped lips on ‘Madame Web’s’ storyline. Dakota Johnson is in the lead role, with Celeste O'Connor, Emma Roberts and Isabela Merced also joining the actors list with Sweeney.