Sydney Sweeney Reflects: From Spokane To Hollywood And The Weight Of Family

Sydney Sweeney Opens Up About Family Struggles

Sydney Sweeney recently took a deep dive into her past, opening up about the emotional baggage she carried as a teenager during her parents' financial troubles and divorce. Sharing her journey on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, the actress shed light on how her early career ambitions intertwined with her family's hardships.

Sydney's Move to L.A. and the Pursuit of Dreams

Reflecting on her family's transition from Spokane, Washington, to the bright lights of Los Angeles, Sweeney described the immense pressure she placed on herself to succeed. "I was just doing anything that I could to have a resume built, gain connections, and make sure that my parents didn’t give up on me," Sweeney shared. The actress recalls how she dove headfirst into opportunities, juggling more responsibilities than most kids her age. Adjusting to the high costs of Los Angeles life proved challenging for her family, especially when compared to their small-town roots.

“Growing up in a small town, when you come to L.A., prices in L.A. are crazy. Not anything like where I came from,” Sweeney revealed.

Family Pressures and Personal Guilt

The move to L.A. was a turning point for Sweeney's family. Her father's job loss and the subsequent financial strain led to the family filing for bankruptcy when she was just 16. The added stress eventually culminated in her parents' divorce. Sweeney candidly expressed her feelings of guilt, saying, "I felt like a lot of it was my fault because I had brought them to the city [and] uplifted their entire lives, and I blamed myself for a long time."

Despite appearing in shows like Heroes and Criminal Minds early on, Sweeney's major break came almost a decade later with roles in Everything Sucks! and Sharp Objects. Throughout her teenage years, she was driven by the belief that her success could somehow mend her family's broken ties. "So I put a lot of pressure on myself of needing to succeed and achieve all these things so I could put different things back together," she explained.

Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.