Warning: Spoilers ahead for Euphoria season 3.Euphoria is not so euphoric in the end.
Despite being extremely controversial and divisive, Euphoria captivated audiences in 2019 and, even after a four-year hiatus, managed to hit streaming records. Its star-studded cast included Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, and more.
Hollywood · Rising Star Dossier How Well Do You Know Sydney Sweeney? From Euphoria to the big screen — test your knowledge
🎡EuphoriaCassie Howard
🏜White LotusOlivia Mossbacher
📸Anyone But YouBea
🎬RealityWinner
⛫ImmaculateSister Cecilia
01
Sydney Sweeney’s breakout role on HBO’s “Euphoria” earned her widespread recognition. What is the name of her character on the show?
✓ Correct! Sydney plays Cassie Howard, the emotionally vulnerable and people-pleasing teen whose turbulent love life becomes a central storyline. Her Season 2 performance — especially the iconic bathroom meltdown scenes — earned her an Emmy nomination.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Cassie Howard. Rue Bennett is Zendaya’s character, Maddy Perez is played by Alexa Demie, and Lexi Howard (Cassie’s sister) is played by Maude Apatow. Sydney’s Cassie became one of Season 2’s most talked-about characters.
02
In the first season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” Sydney plays a sharp, judgmental college student vacationing in Hawaii. What is her character’s name?
✓ Correct! Sydney plays Olivia Mossbacher, the privileged and intellectually pretentious daughter of the Mossbacher family. Her deadpan delivery and snobbish attitude made Olivia a fan-favorite character in Mike White’s satirical hit.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Olivia Mossbacher. Rachel is Alexandra Daddario’s character, Paula is Brittany O’Grady’s role (Olivia’s best friend), and Quinn is Olivia’s younger brother. Sydney’s Olivia steals every scene with her cutting commentary.
03
Before her major breakout, Sydney appeared in a critically acclaimed Hulu series based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. Which show was it?
✓ Correct! Sydney played Eden Spencer in Season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a devout and obedient young bride in the oppressive Gilead regime. Despite being a recurring role, her performance was emotionally devastating and showed her dramatic range early on.
✗ Not quite! The answer is The Handmaid’s Tale. Sydney played Eden Spencer, a 15-year-old bride in Gilead during Season 2. It was one of her first major prestige TV roles and demonstrated the dramatic talent that would later explode with Euphoria.
04
Sydney starred in the surprise rom-com hit “Anyone But You” (2023). Which actor plays her love interest, Ben, in the film?
✓ Correct! Glen Powell plays Ben opposite Sydney’s Bea in this modern retelling inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” The film became a sleeper box office hit, earning over $220 million worldwide and reviving the theatrical rom-com genre.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Glen Powell. While Jacob Elordi is Sydney’s Euphoria co-star, it’s Glen Powell who plays her enemies-to-lovers match in “Anyone But You.” The film’s massive success was credited to their electric chemistry.
05
Sydney starred in and produced the 2024 horror film “Immaculate.” Where is the film primarily set?
✓ Correct! “Immaculate” is set in a remote Italian convent where Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a young American nun who discovers the institution harbors terrifying secrets. Sydney also served as a producer on the film, marking a significant step in her behind-the-camera career.
✗ Not quite! The answer is a remote convent in the Italian countryside. Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a devout young nun who travels to Italy only to find herself trapped in a nightmare. The film was shot on location in Italy and showcased Sydney’s range as both star and producer.
06
Sydney made Emmy history in 2022 by earning two acting nominations in the same year for two different HBO shows. “Euphoria” was one — what was the other?
✓ Correct! In 2022, Sydney earned a Supporting Actress nomination for “Euphoria” and a Limited Series Supporting Actress nomination for “The White Lotus” — both on HBO. Being double-nominated across two of the network’s biggest shows cemented her as one of the most in-demand young actresses in Hollywood.
✗ Not quite! The answer is The White Lotus. Sydney’s dual nominations for Euphoria and The White Lotus in the same Emmy cycle was a remarkable achievement. Both shows were critical and commercial hits for HBO, and Sydney was central to each.
07
In the 2023 HBO film “Reality,” Sydney plays a real-life person — an NSA whistleblower who leaked classified documents to the press. Who did she portray?
✓ Correct! Sydney portrays Reality Winner, the former Air Force linguist and NSA contractor who was arrested in 2017 for leaking a classified report on Russian election interference. The film recreates her FBI interrogation using actual transcript recordings and was praised for Sydney’s riveting, restrained performance.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Reality Winner. The HBO film is based on the real FBI interrogation of Reality Winner, who leaked classified intelligence documents. Sydney’s intense, dialogue-driven performance was widely praised as some of her finest dramatic work.
08
Beyond acting, Sydney is known for an unusual hobby she’s been passionate about since she was a teenager, even earning a competition-level certification. What is it?
✓ Correct! Sydney is famously a trained MMA fighter and a gearhead who restores classic cars. She’s been passionate about mixed martial arts since high school and has also shared her love of working on vintage automobiles — hobbies that surprised fans who only knew her from her on-screen roles.
✗ Not quite! The answer is MMA training and restoring vintage cars. Sydney trained in MMA as a teenager and still practices. She’s also a self-taught mechanic who restores classic cars in her spare time — she’s shared her work on social media, showing there’s much more to her than meets the eye.
Spotlight · Final Review Your Fan Score
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Variety has reported that HBO has confirmed the controversial series Euphoria will end with season 3 after seven years. Creator Sam Levinson also confirmed the news on the New York Times‘ music podcast, Popcast, which means “In God We Trust” is officially the final episode.
The news doesn’t come as a shock to many due to Zendaya’s recent comments in interviews stating she believed the series would be reaching its end, as well as her and the entire cast becoming A-list actors, and their schedules becoming too much to work around.
The final episode, titled “In God We Trust”, dealt a devastating blow to the series’ main character, Rue Bennett (played by Zendaya), who was found dead by her friend and Narcotics Anonymous sponsor Ali (played by Colman Domingo), leading to a bloody battle of revenge against those who dealt her the final dose.
The series’ finale also paid tribute to the character Fez (played by the late Angus Cloud) in a dream sequence where on-screen best friend Zendaya finally found peace and the two were reunited.
Despite the heartwarming sentiment, many are stating that the finale is up there with some of the worst TV endings in history alongside Game of Thrones and Stranger Things. Fans took to social media to share their disappointment with the ending and in particular the shocking death of its main character and the way in which she died.
On X, thousands were devastated to see that Rue ended up dying due to an overdose despite having been clean, as well as being completely unaware of the painkillers provided by season 3 antagonist Alamo (played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) were laced with fentanyl.
However, the 2012 miniseries that Levinson based this show upon also had Rue die, but instead showed she was dead the entire time and was simply a narrator.
Now, with all the episodes officially released, Euphoria season 3 is the worst rated of the entire franchise with a shocking 40% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience is in agreement and gave an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes rating of 39%. Many called out series’ creator Levinson for the fetishized content featured this season with Sweeney’s character Cassie.
