Sydney Sweeney hits back at producer who said she “can’t act”

18 April, 2024

Sydney Sweeney has hit back at producer Carol Baum for criticising her appearance and claiming she “can’t act”.

Baum made the comments in a conversation with New York Times film critic Janet Maslin following a screening of her 1988 film Dead Ringers, beginning: “There’s an actress who everybody loves now – Sydney Sweeney.”

“I don’t get Sydney Sweeney,” she continued. “I was watching on the plane Sydney Sweeney’s movie [Anyone But You] because I wanted to watch it. I wanted to know who she is and why everybody’s talking about her.”

The producer, whose credits include Father of the Bride and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, went on to call the hit rom-com “unwatchable”. Baum, who teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, apparently asked her class: “Explain this girl to me. She’s not pretty, she can’t act. Why is she so hot?”

“Nobody had an answer but then the question was asked, “Well if you could get your movie made because she was in it, would you do it?”, she continued. “I said, “Well that’s a really good question…that’s a very hard question to answer because we all want to get the movie made and who walks away from a green light? Nobody I know. Your job is to get the movie made.”

Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney – CREDIT: Michael Buckner/WWD via Getty Images

In response to Baum’s comments, a representative for Sweeney said in a statement: “How sad that a woman in the position to share her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman.

“If that’s what she’s learned in her decades in the industry and feels is appropriate to teach to her students, that’s shameful. To unjustly disparage a fellow female producer speaks volumes about Ms. Baum’s character.”

Several people have come to Sweeney’s defence, including producer Teddy Schwarzman, who worked with the actress on her recent horror movie Immaculate.

“As a producer of Immaculate, I’ll enlighten Ms. Baum that two-time Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney is not only one of the most talented actresses I’ve worked with, but also incredibly smart, kind and humble,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“I’m not sure why someone who claims to still be a producer would make such terribly ugly comments, but I can assure everyone that Sydney is at least beautiful on the inside. And, of course, a badass Scream Queen.”

Sydney Sweeney. Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Clarifying their discussion in New York, Maslin wrote on X: “We brought up Anyone But You because it’s been the rare smash hit rom-com at a time when they aren’t working. Not because we wanted to take cheap shots at anyone.”

Sweeney recently addressed criticism from the right-wing media in our profile of the star. She also previously spoke out about her role in the box office flop Madame Web, saying: “I was just hired as an actress in it, so I was just along for the ride for whatever was going to happen.”

In other news, Sweeney has said she “doesn’t know” when Euphoria 3 will start shooting.

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