In just the last few months, Sydney Sweeney has changed. Already a two-time Emmy nominee for her roles in “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus,” she starred in and produced the global box office hit “Anyone but You.”
Such is Sweeney's current career trajectory that she is unfazed by the stern, derisive response to the recent disappointment of “Madame Web,” saying, “I just got hired as an actress, so I just went along for the ride for what whatever was happening.” make it happen.”
Now comes her intense horror film “Immaculate,” premiering Tuesday night at the South by Southwest Film and Television Festival, with Sweeney once again starring and producing. The thriller reunites her with director Michael Mohan, the two having previously worked together on the Netflix high school drama series “Everything Sucks” and the Prime Video erotic thriller “The Voyeurs.”
“Immaculate,” with a screenplay credited to Andrew Lobel, follows a devout American woman, Cecilia, who heads to a remote Italian convent. She becomes pregnant while she is still a virgin, a seemingly miraculous event that soon takes a sinister turn. Mohan cites classics like “Rosemary's Baby,” “The Exorcist” and Ken Russell's 1971 “The Devils” as inspirations; This film also features a supporting cast of European talents such as Álvaro Morte from “Money Heist”, Simona Tabasco from “White Lotus” and Benedetta Porcaroli from “Amanda”.
Sweeney, 26, recently hosted “Saturday Night Live,” only to be in Paris on Tuesday for a Miu Miu fashion show and then return to New York on Wednesday to join Mohan via Zoom for our joint interview. Just a few days later she was in Los Angeles for the Vanity Fair post-Oscars party, where she wore a dress that Angelina Jolie already wore at the 2004 Academy Awards.
“Immaculate” will be released later this month by Neon. Although the following conversation addresses the film's surprising ending, there are no spoilers beyond what's already in the film's trailer.
Sydney Sweeney in the movie “Immaculata.”
(Neon)
Sydney, it's already part of the origin story of “Immaculate” that you auditioned for this 10 years ago and then revived the project. What was it about this story that marked you?
SWEENEY: Originally the script was very different. Once I had it in my hands and we hired Michael, we drastically revised it to fit who I am today and the world today. But the common thread of the story has always been the same. And I think one of the reasons I loved it so much was that some of the scariest, rawest, most guttural moments in this movie happen in real life.
You and Michael had a labor You're already in a relationship, but what made you turn to him to get involved?
SWEENEY: I feel like we've grown together in this industry. Michael was one of the first filmmakers who really believed in me to have a regular role on a television show. And I was 19 years old. After working on “Everything Sucks” and “Voyeurs,” you can communicate with someone differently. Mike and I can look at each other and we know what we're thinking. We know what needs to be fixed. We know what's working without even having to say a word. And having a filmmaker like that on your team is very beneficial for the project to flow. And he was also my baby and I knew he wasn't going to come and then push me aside.
Michael, what was your reaction when you first received the script?
MOHÁN: I was scared when I read it. I knew Syd was making this movie with or without me. And we had shared some scripts before and some of the scripts I had read I didn't feel like I was particularly right for them. And I didn't want to just sign up just to sign up. I wanted to feel like I could elevate what was there. And when I read the script, the concept seemed very plausible and very terrifying and prophetic. I didn't see the turn the narrative takes coming. As someone who writes movies with twist endings, that's a big deal.
But I also really wanted to work with Syd again. Is so easy. I don't want to deconstruct it too much. It is this appreciation for the craft of our crew and what they bring to the table.
How did the script change from what it originally was?
SWEENEY: It changed drastically: location, age, characters, a lot of that.
MOHÁN: The main thing was that, in the first draft, she was a high school student. And then by changing the character to a nun, she gave us a much broader character arc to play. Although the film is very short, it begins in a place that is very different from where we left it. And knowing that you have an actor as good as Syd in your back pocket to play him, she will be able to pull it off effortlessly. I just have to keep her focused.
Every time I came up with a new idea, they immediately said, “But is it scary?” And it was just: This has to be really scary. And I give them all the credit for pushing me in every way.
Sydney, talk about his go to produce. Is it about you taking more control of the material you are agree be part of?
SWEENEY: I am a very practical collaborator. I like to be able to give ideas, be part of it, help find solutions. It just changes the whole process. It's very difficult for me now to be on a set and not be able to help in any way and not be able to act. And being able to have a voice and a valuable opinion means a lot.
And I still have a billion things to learn, but I love being able to be a part of the process from start to finish. I have always built my characters from scratch. And so I feel like I'm going to do that on the whole script level.
MOHÁN: I also think that, frankly, Syd has her finger on the pulse of what her generation wants to see. And then you understand that: Hey, there are no romantic comedies, you know what? I'm going to find one and make it mine. I'm going to make it as cinematic as I can. And of course, it was successful. You knew it.
Do you see it that way, Sydney?
SWEENEY: I mean, it definitely helps to be the same age as the audience.
Sydney Sweeney and director Michael Mohan, photographed in Los Angeles before the SXSW premiere of the religious horror thriller “Immaculate.”
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Michael, what has it been like for you to see Sydney evolve as a performer and as a person, as a celebrity, since you met her?
MOHÁN: To be honest, it's not surprising. We pretty much knew that when we cast her in “Everything Sucks.” This is a born leader. Even then, Syd really helped us in terms of cast morale. She was the camp counselor for the rest of the kids, the actors younger than her. The fact that she's doing everything right now and she's everywhere and everywhere, it's like, of course.
I'm glad you're getting roles that are even more challenging. For me, that's the fun part: watching a movie like “Reality” or even watching that scene in “Anyone but You” where you climb up on the armrest: that physical comedy where your butt is in his face. It is fun. I've never seen you do that before. And then it's really…
SWEEENEY: I'm so dumb. That's the thing. I'm actually super dumb. I make very sarcastic and dry comments, and everyone who is close to me knows that in real life I am more of a comedian than a dramatic person.
You don't really seem afraid to use your body in your performances, even taking off your clothes. And this role feels different. For most, It is more contained and buttoned–above. How conscious was that decision for you?
SWEENEY: It didn't serve the character. It's always whether it serves the character or not. I'm living someone else's life. So if it serves the development or emotional state of a character, then it makes sense. But she was a nun. She didn't make sense.
Michael, was that it? something you thought of — How much were you going to rely on the exploitation? side of a nunsploitation movie?
MOHÁN: Well, I don't want to be known as the guy who makes movies where Sydney gets naked. I don't want that reputation. I will tell you though, Syd, when we decided to do the scene with you and Benedetta in a bathhouse, we knew she would have a sensual feel.
SWEENEY: And it's like if she were in the bathhouse, she would just be wearing her overdress, her bathing suit, and no bra. And honestly, it's anything the character would do. I never think about that. I mean, the character didn't wear a bra in most things, so I didn't wear a bra. It just depends on the character. I really look at everything like that.
Mohan: I was probably more worried than you because I remember after filming the first take, I was like, “Oh my God, it's so pure. Is it okay?” And you said, “No, this is beautiful. Don't think about it too much.”
Sydney Sweeney in the movie “Immaculate.”
(Neon)
Now I want to ask you about something that happens in the movie, but I I don't want you to feel like we're messing up anything. How are you talking about the movie?
MOHÁN: This is the first interview we've done together, so I think we're figuring it out.
SWEENEY: We definitely don't want to spoil the ending. We really want people to discover it for themselves. Of course, people write reviews and that will be there, but we are trying very hard not to spoil the ending. I will say that was the first take. That was a take.
MOHÁN: We film alternatives. We covered ourselves in case the public rejected the execution we sought. But when we took the shot, it was undeniable. We saw it and thought: This is incredible. This is what it is. And fortunately, everyone supported us.
The only thing I can say is that every time you're on set and you see Syd do this, it's really like watching someone do a magic trick, because the second I say cut, it's like, boom, back to Syd. And it's like nothing. Sometimes, as a director, the best direction you can give is to stay out of someone's way.
Sydney, where does that ability to turn a character on and off like that come from?
SWEENEY: When I started, I had… I don't even know if you'd call him a life coach or not, not exactly an acting coach, but he was my friend's father. So Kodi Smit-McPhee [of “The Power of the Dog”], his father, Andy McPhee, would help Kodi build his characters. So I started working with Andy and we would just talk about character work. It wouldn't be rehearsing, it wouldn't be running lines, it would be really just talking about the characters and building who they were.
And the first thing he always told me was to make sure I separated myself from my characters as much as possible. Don't put any of my own memories, emotions, feelings, people, relationships, anything into my characters' thoughts, so I can come in and out.
Sydney, even in the last two weeks, it seems like your fame has grown. Do you think you like it? things are throttle too fast?
SWEENEY: I am such a homebody that life stays the same for me. I just hang out with my dog, my family and my close friends. There are just more people who greet me when I leave. That's all.
Does everything seem normal to you now?
SWEENEY: Nothing in this industry is normal. And I think it's very important to remember that.
