With 4am call times, freezing cold lakes, emotional breakdowns — was Echo Valley more physically or emotionally draining than Euphoria? According to Sydney Sweeney, it’s not even a competition.
The actress was in London on Tuesday night for the UK premiere of Echo Valley, Apple TV+’s new psychological thriller in which she stars opposite Julianne Moore.
The film centres on Claire (Sweeney), a troubled young woman who turns up at her mother’s remote Pennsylvania horse farm drenched in blood, dragging a violent mystery — and a history of addiction — behind her.
What follows is a tightly wound mother-daughter thriller exploring just how far a parent will go to protect their child.
Speaking to The Standard on the red carpet at London’s BFI, Sweeney reflected on how the shoot compared to her emotionally intense role as Cassie in Euphoria, the HBO drama that catapulted her into global stardom.
“Oh it’s very different, very different,” she said. “But I was very lucky I had an amazing crew on this film and Julianne is just a dream to work with.
“Honestly I would go home happy every night.”
That’s not to say the material was easy.
Echo Valley features some intense, often volatile scenes between Claire and her mother Kate, played by Moore.
The two go head-to-head in raw, emotionally charged arguments — some of which left Sweeney reeling.
“I feel so horrible, I remember after one of my first takes when I was screaming at her I said, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,’” she shared.
“She [Moore] is one of the kindest people I’ve ever worked with and I really hope I can work with her again.”
Claire, like Cassie, is a character wrestling with deep emotional pain — but this time, it’s darker and more grounded.
Asked how she tapped into her character’s fury, Sweeney said: “It depends on the character’s situation, what she’s going through in the moment.
“We’re all human. We’ve a lot of fury down there — but Claire, she’s struggling with so much, especially addiction and just the pain she’s going through, in relation to her mom. There’s just a lot to play with.”
