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Every week, millions of HBO viewers watched the lavish drama and various twists and turns Euphoria.
When the teenage series first launched in 2019, one of the breakout stars was Sydney Sweeney.
She has gone on to take on phenomenal acting roles across a number of genres, garnering recognition for her acting.
But some worry that she is naked and all over NSFW Euphoria scenes could ruin her career in the long run.
Can a role be too steamy for a sustainable career?
On Sunday, May 24, Sweeney went topless Euphoria Season 3, Episode 7: “Rain or Shine.”
For the scene, viewers saw the POV by looking up at her as she pretended to have pretty vigorous sex.
Topless moments like this have gone viral throughout the show’s history.
And although her character, Cassie Howard, is an objectively horrible personshe has continued to draw eyes.
Season 3 followed her character’s journey as an OnlyFans creator. Although many sex workers have noted that the “easy money” narrative is not realistic for the vast majority of performers, many viewers have enjoyed the story for obvious reasons.
Expert in crisis and reputation management, Dave Quast, spoke Fox News about the double-edged sword of Sweeney’s nude scenes in Euphoria.
“‘Euphoria’ clearly helped establish Sydney Sweeney as a fearless performer, physically and emotionally, and that’s part of the reason she broke through,” Quast began.
“The risk is that when the public conversation focuses more on the sexualized aspects of the role than on the performance,” he explained, “the same work that made her seem daring can start to narrow the brand.”
Quast correctly clarified: “Sexuality on screen is not inherently frivolous.”
He added: “The problem is when it becomes the dominant shorthand for the actor.”
Sydney Sweeney models the Comfy lingerie collection for her Syrn brand.
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– fanana hammock (@fananahammock.bsky.social) 27 February 2026 at 13:24
So what is the real challenge?
“For Sweeney, the challenge isn’t that she’s played sexualized roles,” Quast reasoned.
He clarified: “The challenge is to ensure that these roles continue to read as character choices, not as the entire brand proposition.”
That’s not to say that Quast thinks her career is doomed by any means.
“Visibility is currency, and Sweeney has become one of those rare young actresses who can reliably create conversations around almost anything she does,” he praises.
Quast acknowledged: “It has real commercial value.”
PHOTO THREE
There are obvious pitfalls to being something of a lightning rod – even if there are commercial applications.
Sweeney’s jeans ad last summer ignited a firestorm for no real fault.
Conservative panelists singled out a handful of people who (not unreasonably) found the eugenic implications of the “good jeans” pun off-putting.
Against his will, Sweeney became the epicenter of a national discussion. To some, her relative silence after the scandal seemed like a confirmation of people’s worst assumptions, rather than a fear of stirring the hornet’s nest.
Truth be told, her Euphoria role – with Cassie Howard advocating conservative views and conveying difficulty – can’t have helped.
There is a chance that sexualization could make things worse for her. But Sweeney also has many defenders who first noticed her because she’s really, really hot.
