Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about nepotism in the entertainment industry. While people using their familial connections to get opportunities in Hollywood is anything but new, it has become more transparent in recent years. Thanks to the Internet, it’s easier than ever for people to pinpoint those who have achieved success without any connections and those who are “nepo babies.” Recently, Sydney Sweeney opened up about nepotism, and some people seem to think she was possibly calling out her Euphoria co-star, Maude Apatow.
Sydney Sweeney worked for years before she reached mainstream success
Since Euphoria premiered back in 2019, Sweeney has been booked and busy. It seems that every week, the actor is announcing a new movie, TV show, or brand deal. But while it may seem like Sweeney is an overnight celebrity, that is hardly the case. Hailing from Spokane, Washington, the Madame Web star has been pursuing acting for over a decade. She dealt with rejection for years and steadily earned small parts until her breakout roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus made her a household name.
The actor-producer got candid about nepotism in Hollywood
Because Sweeney’s success has been slow and hard-won, she wasn’t privy to the experiences of nepo babies for a while. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the producer got candid about nepotism. “I had no idea getting into this industry how many people have connections,” Sweeney explained. “I started from ground zero, and I know how fuc*ing hard it is. Now I see how someone can just walk in a door, and I’m like, ‘I worked my fuc*ing ass off for 10 years for this’.”
Sweeney works with two nepo babies on ‘Euphoria’
Interestingly enough, Sweeney works with two beneficiaries of nepotism on Euphoria. Apatow, who plays her younger sister on the show, has not one, but two, famous parents. The daughter of director Judd Apatow and actor Leslie Mann, Maude has been acting in her dad’s films since she was seven years old. In fact, her first acting credit was the wildly successful movie, The 40-year-Old Virgin. But Maude isn’t the only nepo baby on Euphoria’s set. Sam Levinson, who is Euphoria’s writer, creator, director, and showrunner, also has a famous parent. Levinson is the son of Oscar-winning director, Barry Levinson. Barry’s most well-known movie is arguably the 1988 film, Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.
Was Sweeney really calling out Maude Apatow?
While some fans may think Sweeney was calling out her Euphoria co-star, we hardly think that’s the case. The duo has been candid about the fact that they are best friends, and have nothing but kind things to say about each other. In fact, Sweeney likens Maude to the sister she never had. Furthermore, The Players Table actor has even shared that the Apatows have become her Los Angeles family and are always kind to her. Sweeney has also championed Maude’s talents publicly. She has stated that Maude is an incredible writer and even expressed interest in working on non-Euphoria projects with her before. So no matter what the MMA fighter feels about nepotism, we’d wager she doesn’t have any issues with Maude. And considering how much she gushes about Sam, we’d argue that the same is likely true for him.
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