Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney says she has yet to find closure on her role as Cassie Howard in the acclaimed streaming series 'Euphoria' — even after the show's third and final season brought the character's story to an end. In a candid conversation with Variety, Sweeney reflected on what makes Cassie one of the most psychologically complex characters in recent prestige television.

Why Cassie Never Understood Love

Sweeney believes her character's emotional dysfunction is rooted in a fractured upbringing. 'I think that, unfortunately, she doesn't know what love is,' the actress told Variety. 'I think that she had a bad example with her dad. She didn't grow up with an idea of what a healthy relationship looks like or what a healthy version of love is. Then, throughout high school, she gets treated terribly by boys, she's just a piece of meat and a token.'

She elaborated further: 'She learns that all they want from her is her body, so that sets up an element of her not respecting herself and not looking for the right things in guys, because they're not looking for the right things in her.'

What Season 3 Put Cassie Through

Over the course of eight episodes in the final season, Cassie — last seen as a painfully insecure high-schooler — navigated a turbulent stretch of adult life. She married her boyfriend Nate, played by Jacob Elordi, confronted her household's bankruptcy, and worked as an OnlyFans model to cover bills and Nate's debts. The show's signature surrealism gave Sweeney room to portray massive emotional swings, including a striking sequence in which Cassie towers over the Los Angeles skyline, literally dominating the men below her.

A Career-Defining Role With Ongoing Resonance

Cassie Howard has functioned as a breakout calling card for Sweeney, who had not previously played a role of this dramatic weight when 'Euphoria' first premiered in 2019. She earned an Emmy nomination for the show's second season in 2022 and, according to reports, could receive another nomination this summer for her final-season performance. The role's frank sexuality has also kept Sweeney at the centre of persistent public debate — something she appears to regard with equanimity.

Sweeney's Hope for How the Show Will Age

Speaking from the Australia set of the anime adaptation 'Gundam', Sweeney said she believes 'Euphoria' will be reassessed more favourably with time. 'Maybe we all had this very wrong,' she said, describing the perspective she hopes some of her critics might eventually arrive at. She also reflected on the unusual rhythm of the show's production — long gaps between seasons meant she was perpetually saying goodbye to a character who kept returning at a different stage of life. 'By the end of Season 1 or Season 2, I was having this bittersweet moment of continually saying goodbye to Cassie every single time,' she noted.

With 'Euphoria' now concluded, Sweeney continues to expand her footprint in both acting and producing — and the conversation around Cassie Howard, it seems, is far from over.