Top Producer Slams Sydney Sweeney: ‘Isn’t Pretty’ And ‘Can’t Act’
Not everyone is a fan of rising star Sydney Sweeney. She has opened up over the years how she has been typecast, and now, a top producer slams Sydney Sweeney. What is somewhat surprising is that the top producer also happens to be a woman and has criticisms of her looks, not just her acting.
Producer Carol Baum is best known for her work with Dolly Parton’s TV and film production company, Sandollar Productions. Baum’s work was prevalent in the ’90s with films like Fly Away Home, Shining Through, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Top Producer Slams Sydney Sweeney
Following the release of Sweeney’s recent films, the 2023 rom-com Anyone But You, and her 2024 horror film Immaculate, Baum is coming for the 26-year-old actress. According to the Daily Mail, Baum said the two-time Emmy-nominated actress is “not pretty, she can’t act.” She added that she doesn’t “get” Sydney Sweeney.
The film producer was apparently referring to Sweeney’s acting in Anyone But You, starring opposite Glen Powell. “I wanted to know who she is and why everybody’s talking about her,” Baum reportedly said, calling the film “unwatchable.” Baum went on to slam the Euphoria alum’s appearance, unable to come up with a reason for why Sweeney’s career has taken off.
In a class she teaches at The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Baum asked the students to explain the allure of Sweeney. She reiterated her thoughts of not being able to act, adding, “Why is she so hot?” Apparently, none of her students had an answer for her.
Despite Baum’s scathing review of Sweeney’s looks and acting skills, she admitted she would take on a project that Sweeney would star in. She stated, “We all want to get the movie made and who walks away from a green light? Nobody I know.”
Clapping Back At Baum’s Slam
Sweeney has since commented on Baum’s criticism. A representative for Sweeney called out Baum, telling gossip website TMZ, “How sad that woman in the position to share her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman.” The rep adds that if all Baum learned in the decades of being in the entertainment business is to tear down another woman and pass it to her students, “that’s truly shameful.”
Even the producer who worked on Sweeney’s latest Immaculate took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend Sweeney. Teddy Schwarzman said that not only is she talented, but she is “incredibly smart, kind and humble.” He calls Baum’s comments “terribly ugly.”
Following Sweeney’s success in the hit HBO show Euphoria, which has yet to be greenlit for a third season, she snagged two Emmy nominations for her role in HBO’s The White Lotus. She then had a starring role in the HBO series Reality and took on the Marvel flop Madame Web. Sweeney, who plays Julia Carpenter in the film, quipped during her recent Saturday Night Live monologue: “You have seen me in Anyone But You or Euphoria. You definitely did not see me in Madame Web.”
Sydney Sweeney’s New Movies
Sweeney has a few upcoming projects. The first sees her starring in another horror film, Echo Valley. In the AppleTV+ film, she will star opposite Julianne Moore. Moore will portray Kate Garrett, a woman reeling from a personal tragedy and spends her days boarding and training horses at Echo Valley Farm, twenty-two secluded, picturesque acres in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Late one night, her wayward daughter, Claire (played by Sweeney), arrives at her doorstep, frightened, trembling, and covered in someone else’s blood.
Then, Sweeney will star in a survival thriller film by Ron Howard, called Eden with an all-star cast, including Jude Law, Ana De Armas, Daniel Brühl, and Vanessa Kirby. The film is based on a real-life story about a group of people who abandon society and travel to the Galapagos Islands to find the meaning of life and live off the land. But things quickly turn into disaster. It is expected to hit theaters in 2025, as filming recently wrapped up in February.