With The Housemaid, a new adaptation of the bestselling psychological thriller by author Freida McFadden, Sydney Sweeney continues her streak as one of Hollywood’s busiest, and most versatile stars. Directed by Paul Feig, the film centers on a young woman who accepts a live-in job only to uncover unsettling truths inside the home of a mysterious couple. The story, known for its twists, unreliable narrators and claustrophobic suspense, has built a massive online following, making the film one of the year’s most anticipated page-to-screen releases.
For Sweeney, The Housemaid arrives amid a career boom that includes Emmy-nominated performances in Euphoria and The White Lotus, a romantic comedy in Anyone but You, and her turn as both producer and star in Immaculate, which became a breakout horror hit. It’s a run that has made her one of the industry’s most in-demand talents.
But Sweeney insists she’s not exhausted – she’s energized.
“I love what I do, so I’m just enjoying it,” she exclusively told Gayety during a recent conversation. “I’m getting to play such crazy, juicy, fun characters. I’m getting to work with so many incredible people, Amanda, and it’s been a dream come true. It’s like everything I’ve ever worked for and wanted in life.”
For her, filmmaking still feels like a privilege. “Being on a set is just the best,” she said. “We are working when we’re on set — that’s what we dream of doing — so why would we want to be anywhere else? I constantly am wanting to find new roles just to be on set and working. It’s the best.”
Amanda Seyfried, who stars opposite Sweeney as the enigmatic and unpredictable Nina, returns to darker territory after acclaimed performances in The Dropout, Things Heard & Seen and You Should Have Left. But she emphasized that The Housemaid is more than a straightforward thriller.
“I think it couldn’t even be described as a thriller as much as it is just an experience,” Seyfried said. “Paul doesn’t just do straight thrillers. The book is so beloved because it is so unique in this genre. I’ve never been given the opportunity to play somebody so dynamic and so contradictory. It was less hard and more just incredibly funny and fun.”
Despite the film’s psychological tension, Seyfried said the cast found ways to maintain a light atmosphere behind the scenes. “We had some really important themes, dark, profoundly realistic themes, and we had to lighten it up with this levity we created on set,” she said. “It was a dream. They don’t make movies like this anymore.”
Both actors said their onscreen chemistry translated naturally from their off-camera rapport. Seyfried described their dynamic as “buoyant,” while Sweeney said the two immediately synced. “We are both balls of energy,” Sweeney said. “We’re a lot of fun, and we’re a lot of fun together. I think we bring out even more craziness because we’re safe together.”
That trust, Seyfried added, allowed them to push the psychological tension of the story. “If you don’t trust your co-stars or you don’t feel safe around them, then you get stilted,” she said. “On this, it felt like I could do anything. That’s why the tension in the movie is so electric — we were able to build that.”
Feig, known for blending comedy with emotional nuance, said Sweeney was the only actor he could imagine playing the lead. “What I love about Sid is she is so complex and brings such subtlety to a role and then can be explosive at the same time,” he said. “She surprises me constantly.”
He also praised Seyfried’s work as Nina. “The role of Nina is really complex,” he said. “When I saw The Dropout, I knew she could pull it off because that character goes through so many different personalities. She was willing to try anything. We experimented with a lot of different ways to play her.”
The Housemaid hits theaters on December 19th.
