Sydney Sweeney says people didn't take her seriously until she was on 'The White Lotus' because she had topless scenes in 'Euphoria'

• Sydney Sweeney spoke about the differing reactions to her work on "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus."
• "I don't think as many people took me seriously in 'Euphoria' because I took my shirt off," she said.

Sydney Sweeney said that people took her more seriously after seeing her work on "The White Lotus" than after season one of "Euphoria."

"'The White Lotus' has been a completely different kind of turning point," Sweeney said in a new interview with Cosmopolitan.

"I don't think as many people took me seriously in 'Euphoria' because I took my shirt off," Sweeney said. "With 'The White Lotus,' all of a sudden, all these people came out of the woodwork like, 'You're the most amazing…' and I'm like, But I went through the craziest emotional roller coaster in 'Euphoria.' So, thanks?"

The first season of the satirical dramedy "The White Lotus" premiered on HBO in July 2021 and centered on primarily affluent characters vacationing at a resort in Hawaii.

Sweeney's Gen Z character, a privileged college sophomore named Olivia Mossbacher, ended up at the titular resort with her mom Nicole (Connie Britton), her dad Mark (Steve Zahn), her younger brother Quinn (Fred Hechinger), and her best friend Paula (Brittany O'Grady).

Throughout the season, Sweeney's Olivia delivered judgmental comments with such ruthlessness that the actress herself said that she was "absolutely terrified" of her own character.

Much of Sweeney's scenes on the show involved her observing fellow guests from behind the pages of whatever book she was reading, whether it was the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's "The Portable Nietzsche" or the art critic Camille Paglia's "Sexual Personae."

Sweeney's "Euphoria" character named Cassie Howard, first introduced on the season one premiere in June 2019, is a stark contrast to her "White Lotus" role.

Whereas Olivia is a cynical college student, Cassie is a sensitive and emotional high schooler who loves to be loved.

Cassie's storyline on season one of "Euphoria" showed the ways in which she's constantly been objectified by men since she hit puberty.

Sweeney appears nude in scenes from seasons one and two, particularly in moments that explore her romantic relationships with Chris McKay (Algee Smith) on season one and Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) on season two.

Sweeney, who previously appeared on shows like "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Sharp Objects," told Cosmopolitan that she's become "disconnected" from the nude scenes she's done for "Euphoria" and the 2021 film "The Voyeurs."

She also said that there's a "double standard" regarding the way women and men are viewed when they appear nude in projects, and she hopes to "have a little part in changing that."