Since Euphoria first aired in 2019, Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney have enjoyed tremendous success – slowly cementing their status as two of the most exciting young actresses in Hollywood.
While Zendaya, 27, was the lead star of the show when it first made its way to screens on HBO, Sweeney, 26, has fast become just as much of a household name after starring in a slew of films and TV shows in the years that followed.
But when it comes to establishing themselves as the industry’s leading ladies, experts have noted that the duo appear to be taking notably different approaches – and Zendaya may end up enjoying ‘greater Tinsel Town longevity.’
The American actress was the bigger name when Euphoria began having been a Disney channel star, and she has since gone on to feature in blockbuster franchises including Spider-Man: Homecoming and Dune.
Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney have both enjoyed tremendous success as they cement their status as Hollywood leading ladies in projects outside of Euphoria
However, since season two of Euphoria aired in 2022, the Malcom & Marie star has been selective about the projects she has chosen to star in.
The first film to hit the big screen was Dune: Part Two earlier this year which built up on the success of the first movie thanks to an epic promotional tour that saw the fashion star making headlines with an selection of stunning themed ensembles.
The flick had a budget of $190 million and brought in $82.5 million on its opening box office weekend.
To date the movie has grossed over $704 million worldwide, with a third now confirmed.
Just months later, Zendaya returned to the big screen with a more modest project – starring as the lead actress in Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers.
The R-rated drama set in the world of tennis took first place at the domestic box office with $15 million – after being made on a $55 million budget.
It’s box office number may seem small to some, but it is actually the highest opening weekend the director has enjoyed in his career.
While Zendaya, 27, was the lead star of Euphoria when it first made its way to screens on HBO, Sweeney, 26, has fast become just as much of a household name
Zendaya and Sydney have become the biggest names from the cast, which also starred Maude Apatow (far left) and Hunter Schafer (second left); seen together in 2022
In comparison, his celebrated flick Call Me by Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet, took seven weekends to cross the $6 million mark.
Meanwhile, the film has proven to be a hit with critics who have praised Zendaya’s ‘flawless’ performance in particular – with the film currently boasting a score of 89 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
PR and social media expert Eric Schiffer explained: ‘Zendaya’s strategy of combining big grossing movies with indie films gives her the power to highlight mix of talents to maintain leading lady star power in Hollywood.
Euphoria debuted on HBO in 2019
‘Mixing box office films with character-driven low-budget movies is on target in the modern era of film and television to drive revenue success and artist authority.’
Speaking to Vogue magazine about her hesitance to be in the spotlight for too long at a time, Zendaya explained: ‘I think that’s always been a massive anxiety of mine: this idea that people will just be like, «Actually, I know I’ve been with you since you were 14, but I’m over you now because you’re boring».’
In the same interview, the actress explained that she hopes to become a director in the future, something that PR expert Eric Yaverbaum believes is guiding her business decisions.
‘Zendaya is a great case study in strategic brand building for a performer, the CEO of Ericho Communications began. ‘She’s shared in interviews that her ultimate goal is to be a filmmaker and take a seat behind the camera. She has also said that she wants to uplift Black women like herself into film roles and carve a larger space in media for them.
‘She established her brand from an early age; with her Disney background and with subsequent starring roles, she’s made herself a household name.
‘That allows her to be highly selective with other roles she takes on, and is incredibly smart for someone who wants to establish themselves as a serious artist who can also bring in viewers—her blockbuster choices have been both highly popular and critically acclaimed.’
Experts have noted how the pair appear to be taking notably different approaches on their quest to become established leading ladies in the industry; seen together in 2022
Zendaya has starred in two movies since Euphoria season 2 aired, while Sydney has featured in a number of films that have been released both in cinemas and on streaming platforms
Yaverbaum continued: ‘And her lower budget, character-driven choices have reinforced her talent, taste, and profitability. This combination of choices sets her up perfectly for longevity as an actor and a filmmaking career.
‘Zendaya has long talked about her obsession with perfectionism and technique in her work, and her choice in projects is very much aligned with that.’
Meanwhile, Sweeney began acting at 12 and had starred in The Handmaid’s Tale and Sharp Objects before Euphoria, but the HBO show was most certainly her big break.
The second season saw her receive praise for her portrayal of her character, Cassie, and the actress kept the momentum going by diving into a number of television and film projects once Euphoria wrapped its second season.
First she appeared in crime drama film which was released on HBO in the US, but had a theatrical release in international markets leading it to gross a total of $1.4 million worldwide.
The actress took part in another smaller budget flick, Americana, before she returned to the big screen with a splash in the romantic-comedy, Anyone But You.
Starring alongside co-star Glen Powell, with whom she was forced to deny relationship rumors, the flick made $6.3 million on its opening weekend. However, after being made with a $25 million budget, the movie has since grossed an impressive $219 million.
‘Zendaya is a great case study in strategic brand building for a performer’, according to the CEO of Ericho Communications, Eric Yaverbaum
PR expert Eric Schiffer says: ‘Zendaya’s strategy of combining big grossing movies like Dune with films like Challengers gives her the opportunity to maintain her star power’
Her next big role was in the superhero movie, Madame Web, alongside Dakota Johnson.
The film has a massive budget of $80 million and only drew in $15 million on its opening weekend. It has since grossed over $100 million worldwide.
It was an unexpected flop for Sweeney, who was able to joke about the disastrous release during an appearance on Saturday Night Live.
She bounced back from the embarrassment with the release of horror flick, Immaculate.
Having been created on a $9 million budget, it pulled in $5.3 million at the domestic box office and has since grossed over $21 million worldwide.
‘Sweeney’s strategy of flexibility is effective to grow name recognition, but it has longer-term minefields that can go boom,’ Schiffer mused.
Meanwhile, Yaverbaum argues that Sweeney is doing exactly what she needs to do to achieve her ultimate goal of become a movie superstar.
‘Sweeney has shared that her primary dream has always been to become an actor, and while she has hinted at wanting creative liberties behind the screen, shaping her acting career has been Sweeney’s goal from day one, the Public Relations for Dummies author explained.
‘Sweeney has also alluded to her love of horror movies and acting out raw emotion, such as with her role as a producer and star of the movie Immaculate. Her multitude of project choices have generated a lot of buzz for her, making her one of Hollywood’s it girls of the moment.’
Sydney Sweeney’s star has risen thanks to a number of television and film projects; pictured at the Madame Web premiere in February
Yaverbaum argues that the ‘multitude of project choices – such as Reality (L) and Immaculate (R) have generated a lot of buzz for Sydney, making her an it girl of the moment’
He continued: ‘How she moves forward will dictate whether or not she can leverage that excitement to fuel the next stages of her career, but she certainly doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and I think we’re likely to see a lot more of her over the next few years.’
Elsewhere, Ryan Toomey, film expert and editor at Upbeat Geek stressed to Daily Mail that Sweeney’s ‘talent cannot be disputed’ and will allow her to escape the trap of being seen as a ‘one-trick pony’.
He stated: ‘Her acting skills are quickly pinning her as Hollywood’s new darling, able to garner the adoration of rom-com lovers, teen drama addicts, horror film buffs and even Tarantino fans alike. Sweeney isn’t a one-trick pony, and is slowly starting to show the depth of her acting and even producing chops.’
Yaverbaum explained: ‘The public can forgive missteps and overlook occasional flops, especially when an artist is taking interesting risks. Sweeney may not have anticipated Madame Web being a flop, but it was likely always more of a stepping stone toward projects better aligned with her acting goals.
‘It’s all dependent on where Sweeney goes from here, how she chooses to leverage her public image, and in what ways she continues to experiment with her acting.’
Like Zendaya, who has been in a long-term relationship with fellow Marvel star Tom Holland, Sydney Sweeney has seen her relationship status making headlines.
However, the actress – who is engaged to restaurant owner and businessman Jonathan Davino – found herself having to deny claims of an affair with her Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell.
In a recent interview, Glen admitted that the pair chose to ‘lean in’ to their natural chemistry in order to promote the movie – which further fueled speculation.
Alluding to the relationship rumors, Schiffer added: ‘Keeping your name in the headlines through constant work and gossip magazine attention is highly effective to capture attention and drive career growth, but it comes with dangerous constraints that require the right mix of high quality projects.’
Sydney has seen her relationship status making headlines with regards to her movies; pictured with Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell
The pair chose to ‘lean in’ to their natural chemistry in order to promote the movie – which fueled speculation that Sydney cheated on her fiancé Jonathan Davino
The chairman of Reputation Management Consultants continued: ‘Sweeney faces a serious career danger if audiences don’t see enough of her projects to be the right quality standard. It can mean catastrophic career implications to her brand.’
Yaverbaum also warned about the dangers of being seen as ‘hyper relevant’ as he stated: ‘Oversaturation is the double edged-sword to being hyper relevant. It’s certainly a risk artists have to consider.’
When comparing the pair’s career moves so far, Schiffer claimed Zendaya’s current path was set to be the more fruitful approach.
He stated: ‘Zendaya’s selective focus is a far wiser long-term career choice. It allows her access to star in more important roles that can bring awards and help power greater Tinsel Town longevity and a crowning legacy.’
Schiffer added: ‘Zendaya is light years ahead in establishing herself as the elevated Hollywood star given the traction and quality of her entertainment projects.
‘She dominates with more brilliant moves that bring more sustained success and staying power in a tough as nails industry.’
Yaverbaum stated: ‘Both Zendaya and Sweeney are powerful women in Hollywood right now with a lot of influence on young audiences. People are closely watching what they say and do, and I think they both are well aware of that.’
He added: ‘Zendaya is excelling as a Hollywood icon, and I think that’s because she realizes what she represents and the change she can effect. Zendaya strikes me as the type of artist who will still be top of mind twenty years from now, whether that’s behind the camera or in front of it.’
The PR expert continued: ‘These two young women have very different definitions of what success means to them… Critically, they are both making smart choices for their very different brands and careers.’
Indeed, the future continues to look promising for both actresses, with the pair still expected to return to their roles in the final season of Euphoria.
The duo are also reportedly in the running to be cast as the next Bond Girl in the next film in the 007 franchise.
Zendaya will reprise her role as Chani in Dune: Messiah, while she will be bringing the story of Ronnie Spector to life as the lead actress and producer in a biopic about the life of the Ronettes’ lead singer.
Meanwhile, Sweeney will continue to juggle a number of projects with two thriller films currently in post-production, titled Eden and Echo Valley, respectively.
Elsewhere, the star has signed on to take of the role of Barbarella in a remake that will also see her serve as an executive producer.
Sweeney is also set to star and produce upcoming thriller, The Caretaker, as well as an adaptation the novel, The Registration. The actress is also attached to HBO mini-series, The Players Table.
