It’s a foregone conclusion that Sydney Sweeney is one of the most highly sought-after stars in all of Hollywood, and that doesn’t just apply to her career. The 27-year-old starlet has amassed a devoted fanbase, many of which have thirsted after her in a variety of ways. Said individuals have found some “creative” ways to do that, too. However, I’m not sure many of those compare to the flirty message Sweeney just received from a college football mascot amid an ESPN broadcast. And, as funny as that was, the actress’ cheeky response was better.
As per the norm for a Saturday during football season, ESPN’s College GameDay aired, and among the games set to occur today is one between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams are undefeated, and it should be a great matchup. But, ahead of that, what I found funny was that Oregon’s mascot, “The Duck” referenced the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood alum during the telecast. The costumed individual held up a sign that read, “Sydney Sweeney Call Me Back.”
That’s certainly one way to try and reach a Hollywood A-lister but, of course, there’s no way of telling whether the star will actually receive the message. Well, the “talented, magnetic and beautiful” Sharp Objects actress caught wind of the shoutout. She then took to her Instagram story to share a screenshot of the televised moment, which had a funny message overlaying it. Check it out:
Now, if you ask me, changing your number is the oldest excuse in the book! In all seriousness, though, I really appreciate the actress’ sense of humor here. She’s shown that she has a significant sense of self-awareness when it comes to her public persona. So it’s not all that out of the ordinary for her to drop a quip like this whenever she’s mentioned in some context.
What the mascot's nod also represents, though, is just how much the Washington state native has permeated pop culture at this point. Although she booked roles on the likes of Everything Sucks! and The Handmaid’s Tale in the late 2010s, she rose to prominence as a member of the Euphoria cast. Since then, she’s starred in movies and TV shows like Anyone but You, Reality, The White Lotus and Immaculate. Right now, she’s set to star alongside Ana de Armas in Ron Howard’s Eden and is working on a boxing biopic about Christy Martin.
Though Sydney Sweeney appears to appreciate the strides she’s made in her career, she’s also had to deal with the heavy focus on her physical appearance. Sweeney has seen the comments many have made about her physique and, as she’s explained, that wave of chatter is something she’s still navigating. Nevertheless, Sweeney recently shared body positive sentiments, as she encouraged women to embrace their sexuality. She even added that women with boobs should be encouraged to “flaunt” them.
I don’t know about you, but I appreciate the fact that the Madame Web star totally owns her persona and can make jokes if or when she goes viral. Now, I just need to know if she’s going to send her “new number” to the Duck. (Something tells me the big-billed football mascot might come out with a loss on that front, though.)
You can watch ESPN’s College GameDay when it airs Saturdays from 9 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN U. Those who aren’t the biggest sports fans, however, can check out Sydney Sweeney’s work on Euphoria or The White Lotus using a Max subscription.