Topics: Celebrity, Hollywood, US News, Film and TV
Hollywood producer Carol Baum has hit out at rising star Sydney Sweeney with a series of stinging comments.
Sweeney has made waves in Hollywood recently with her starring role in HBO drama series Euphoria, as well as The White Lotus and The Handmaid's Tale.
That's an impressive resume to have under your belt before even turning 27, plus the success of her 2023 romcom Anybody But You, but producer Baum is less convinced of Sweeney's appeal.
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The producer has slammed Sweeney in a discussion after a screening of her 1988 film Dead Ringers.
Baum is known for films such as Father of the Bride, The Good Girl, and Fly Away Home.
She hit out at Sweeney with a series of remarks about her skills as a actor, and even her appearance.
The conversation happened with New York Times film critic, Janet Maslin, in front of fans.
So what exactly did she say about Sweeney? Well, she didn't mince her words.
She rather bluntly said: "She's not pretty, she can't act."
The producer recounted how she had watched romantic comedy Anyone But You on a flight.
Baum said: “I don’t get Sydney Sweeney. I was watching on the plane Sydney Sweeney's movie because I wanted to watch it.
"I wanted to know who she is and why everybody's talking about her.
"I watched this unwatchable movie - sorry to people who love this movie - [this] romantic comedy where they hate each other."
Baum went on to talk about how she had used her thoughts in a class she taught at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
She said: “I said to my 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?'"
Recounting the interaction, Baum continued: “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.”
Sweeney found success for her role in the highly successful HBO drama Euphoria, playing teenager Cassie Howard, which got her an Emmy nomination in 2022.
The actor scored a second Emmy nomination for her part in The White Lotus as Olivia Mossbacher.
Her movie Anyone But You got mixed reviews from critics but was a box office hit as it made over $200 million worldwide.
A representative for Sydney Sweeney told UNILAD: "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."
