Sydney Sweeney’s big break in Hollywood was starring in a horror film with Amber Heard.

Sydney Sweeney is no doubt the breakout star of the year, and with the onslaught of projects she has been appearing in, the actress has definitely come a long way. Her breakthrough role in HBO’s Euphoria helped launch her career, but it was her determination that got her a steady footing.

Sydney Sweeney in Euphoria
Sweeney may have brought the romantic comedy genre back into the fold with her sleeper hit film Anyone But You, and may also have dabbled in the superhero world with Sony’s Madame Web, but fans ought to know that she got her first big role in Hollywood starring in an Amber Heard movie.

Sydney Sweeney Went From Small Roles To Acting As Lead Movie Star

Amber Heard in The Ward

Sydney Sweeney was only 13 when she landed the role of the young Alice in John Carpenter’s horror thriller film The Ward (2010). She is the young girl whom Amber Heard’s Kristen sees in flashbacks, both hands shackled in a cellar. In an interview with Backstage, the actress revealed how she prepared for the short albeit intense role.
“I had a small role in John Carpenter’s The Ward with Amber Heard. My character is locked in the basement and terrified for a really long time, so the audition scene was to be freaked out and crying.”
Interestingly, she also appeared in the comedy sci-fi horror movie ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction and in television series like Heroes and Criminal Minds. Carpenter’s film was her fifth acting project overall.
“I had my parents lock me in the crawl space of our house and leave me in there for as long as I could stand it just to see what it felt like. I think [my parents] were probably like, ‘You’re a strange child, but also, at the same time, this is kind of cool.’ ”
The 26-year-old actress started with minor roles with very little screen time then worked her way up to becoming the leading star of her own movie. In a Twitter post, a fan recalled Sweeney’s early career in a BTS photo alongside Carpenter.

sydney sweeney and john carpenter behind the scenes of his film THE WARD (2010) pic.twitter.com/5V63vSApQc

— bethany (@fiImgal) March 18, 2024
 

Indeed, she looks very young in the image, and after about a decade, she has evolved into one of the most in-demand and successful actresses of this generation.

Paving The Rough Road In Hollywood

Sydney Sweeney in Madame Web
Sweeney’s career in Hollywood was not initially supported by her parents. In an interview with British GQ, she revealed drafting a five-year business plan and presenting it to her parents when she was only 12. It was to convince them to let her work as an actress.

This led her and her family to spend the next few years traveling between their hometown and Los Angeles for auditions. Unfortunately, they lost their house in Spokane due to debt, and Sweeney’s parents got divorced.

After months of hitting rock bottom, her hard work finally paid off when she booked the project Sharp Objects, starring alongside Amy Adams. From there, her career went on a different trajectory.

The Ward is available to watch on Prime Video.