It's Officially The Start Of An Era For Sydney Sweeney

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Sydney Sweeney Stretching in Euphoria Season 3

Published Jun 13, 2026, 2:07 PM EDT

Casey Duby is an avid TV writer, watcher, and reviewer. She graduated from Emerson College in 2021 with a focus in Writing for Film and Television, where she wrote several pilots and watched countless more. She's been working in television ever since.

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Euphoria was a TV show with a cast of movie stars. Arguably the most fame-fueled contemporary television series to date, Euphoria starred not only A-listers Zendaya and Jacob Elordi, but also Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo, who even took on a larger role as the series went on. Even beyond its stars, the show has marked notable milestones in its cast members' careers.

Euphoria seasons 1 and 2 brought a more adult and mainstream notoriety to Austin Abrams, who then went on to demonstrate his range in Weapons. The character of Fezco was Angus Cloud's breakout role, which the Euphoria series finale honored with archival footage in the wake of his 2023 passing. The show also marked one of the final roles of Eric Dane of Grey's Anatomy fame.

Even among the likes of these high-caliber names, one of Euphoria's biggest stars was Sydney Sweeney. Interestingly, though, Euphoria's premiere nearly seven years ago didn't mark the actress's first high-profile role, nor does the future of her career feel firmly established in the wake of the show's conclusion.

Euphoria season 3 put Sydney Sweeney's Cassie front and center, which makes the future of her post-Euphoria career all the more compelling and unpredictable.

Cassie Felt Like The Main Character Of Euphoria Season 3

Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) walking down the aisle with Suze (Alanna Ubach) in Euphoria season 3

With Zendaya's star power and captivating performance, combined with her character functioning as Euphoria's narrator, Rue had long felt like the show's primary character. Yet despite her appearing in all eight episodes of season 3, Euphoria's final outing felt more like Cassie's, and, by proxy, Sydney Sweeney's show than anyone else's.

Most notably, Cassie's story took clear precedence over Elordi's Nate, who was largely sidelined both narratively and visually after the characters' spectacle of a wedding. The debt that fueled Nate's entire season 3 story, including his death, ultimately served to center Cassie's journey of becoming a financially self-sufficient model, actress, and OnlyFans creator.

One way or another, Euphoria gave nearly every other character an identifiable conclusion, but even in the show's final moments, Cassie's story felt in many ways like it was just beginning. Finally free of both Nate and his debt, the events of the series finale left Cassie's career primed to take off in earnest.

Given that HBO has confirmed that Euphoria is ending with season 3, and the fact that Sweeney has already risen to the status of being a household name, the actress's commitment to the show's final season creates both questions and opportunities regarding what she'll do next.

The End Of Euphoria Will Put Sydney Sweeney's Star Power To The Test

Giant Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) stomping through LA in Euphoria season 3, episode 5

Given that starring roles in movies like Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, and Saltburn have elevated the actor to a full-fledged movie star, Jacob Elordi's comparatively smaller role in Euphoria season 3 is unsurprising. Similarly, Zendaya's work in the show's final season has been largely overshadowed by recent and upcoming projects like The Drama, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and The Odyssey.

Sweeney's recent projects outside of Euphoria, however, have lacked the consistent success that has cemented Zendaya and Elordi's fame. While Sweeney was well-received in the psychological thriller, The Housemaid, and the Shakespearean romantic comedy, Anyone but You, Marvel's Madame Web and the sports biopic, Christy, were largely considered failures.

Though her film career may not be set in stone, Sydney Sweeney has also built an impressive TV resume. Even before the premiere of Euphoria, Sweeney had established herself in the medium with a brief but memorable stint on The Handmaid's Tale, as well as a recurring role in the acclaimed limited series Sharp Objects.

Sydney Sweeney’s 8-Part Limited Series Is The Best HBO Thriller Of All Time

Sydney Sweeney may be famous for Euphoria and The White Lotus, but another HBO series is actually her best, and it's an underrated thriller.

More recently, Sweeney starred in the first season of the smash hit, The White Lotus. The project signaled a continued openness to television despite the fame she's gained as Cassie Howard, while The White Lotus's anthology format and single-season commitment likely allowed Sweeney to sign onto the series alongside Euphoria.

With the conclusion of Euphoria and the freedom from what proved to be a seven-year commitment, Sweeney now has more flexibility than ever before to sign on to a new multi-season series, slate of films, or otherwise pursue the projects that will define her next chapter. Given all that she gave to Cassie, the transition away from Euphoria will be especially telling for Sydney Sweeney.