Emmy-nominated actress Sydney Sweeney said this week that she was barely able to afford a home in Los Angeles, explaining that Hollywood does not “pay actors like they used to.”
“If I wanted to take a six-month break, I don’t have income to cover that,” Sweeney told The Hollywood Reporter in a wide-ranging interview. “I don’t have someone supporting me, I don’t have anyone I can turn to, to pay my bills or call for help.”
“They don’t pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals,” the “Euphoria” actress said. “The established stars still get paid, but I have to give 5 percent to my lawyer, 10 percent to my agents, 3 percent or something like that to my business manager. I have to pay my publicist every month, and that’s more than my mortgage.”
The 24-year-old said she felt she had to supplement her acting income with brand deals, such as becoming the Miu Miu ambassador and starring in an Armani beauty campaign, the Reporter noted.
“If I just acted, I wouldn’t be able to afford my life in L.A. I take deals because I have to,” Sweeney said.
After the actress bought a home in Los Angeles, reportedly for $3 million, the location was posted online, she said. Now, paparazzi are sometimes outside her home, as well as some fans, hoping to sneak a photo of the beauty.
When Sweeney is asked about taking privacy measures, like living in a gated community, the actress told the Reporter her L.A. home maxed her out.
“I couldn’t believe I was even able to buy a house,” she said. “I want to be able to stay there.”
Elle magazine on Thursday reported that Sweeney is worth an estimated $4 million, earning about $350,000 for season two of the HBO hit “Euphoria.”
During the same interview, Sweeney tied her financial troubles to one of the reasons why she has begrudgingly put off motherhood, something she desperately wants.
“I want to have a family, I’ve always wanted to be a young mom,” the actress said. “And I’m worried about how this industry puts stigmas on young women who have children and looks at them in a different light.”
“I was worried that, if I don’t work, there is no money and no support for kids I would have,” Sweeney added.