Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 03:00 IST

Sydney Sweeney poses nude for W Magazine’s Best Performances Issue, inspired by Marilyn Monroe, and opens up about her films and shedding intense roles.

Sydney Sweeney poses nude in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired photoshoot for W Magazine.

Sydney Sweeney has once again set the internet buzzing with her bold fashion choices. The actor, 28, posed completely nude for W Magazine’s Annual Best Performances Issue, released on January 6, celebrating her recent film releases The Housemaid and Christy Martin. The striking images quickly went viral, marking one of her most daring photoshoots to date.

For the cover interview artwork, Sweeney ditched clothing altogether, accessorising only with a dazzling Chopard Haute Joaillerie necklace. Her blonde bob—first unveiled at the AFI Fest screening of Christy in Los Angeles in October—was styled in vintage pin-up curls reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe’s iconic Hollywood look. The visual homage aligns with her recent red carpet appearance at The Housemaid premiere in December, where she wore a white Galia Lahav gown featuring a billowing skirt inspired by Monroe’s famous The Seven Year Itch scene.

The Golden Age-inspired shoot highlights Sweeney’s growing reputation for taking creative risks while nodding to classic Hollywood glamour.

Sydney Sweeney on separating herself from intense roles

In her conversation with W Magazine, the Emmy-nominated actor opened up about her approach to acting, particularly when it comes to emotionally demanding roles. Speaking about portraying legendary boxer Christy Martin in the biopic, Sweeney shared how she works to maintain a boundary between her personal life and her characters.

“I’ve always trained myself to separate as much as I can from my characters and not to put my own thoughts or memories into a scene,” she said. “It allows me to know that a character is the one experiencing those moments, feelings, and scenarios—I’m not. When they call ‘Cut,’ I’m able to just jump out of it and be back to Syd.”

However, Sweeney admitted that the transformation required for Christy Martin made that separation more challenging. “It felt like I was still coming home as Christy, in a sense,” she said, adding that she consciously tried not to carry the character’s emotional struggles and trauma into her personal life.

Months before the nude cover made headlines, Sweeney also addressed plastic surgery rumours. In a December interview with Allure, she shut down speculation about cosmetic procedures, saying, “I am so scared of needles, you have no idea.”