Yahoo Lifestyle Sydney Sweeney Is Down to Recreate This Iconic Rom-Com With Paul Mescal
While most of us are trying to keep our Januarys dry and our resolutions kept, 2025 has already proven to be another booked and busy year for Sydney Sweeney. The Cosmo cover girl is producing and starring in two major movies this year and reportedly heading back to her roots as Cassie on Euphoria. Not to mention, she’s still basking in the glow of her blockbuster hit Anyone But You, where she brought the art of romantic comedies to a new generation alongside Glen Powell.
Now, Syd is lending her movie star magic to her first-ever Super Bowl ad with Hellmann’s. The beloved brand’s game day spot is bound to be iconic as Sydney joins the ranks of rom-com royalty, Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, to recreate their famous When Harry Met Sally scene at Katz’s Deli in NYC. Yeah, you—and your parents—know the one.
Sydney caught up with Cosmopolitan on set to dish about her experience meeting Meg and Billy for the first time and to unpack her grilled cheese lore (including her fave snacking hack). She even gushed about her favorite storytelling tropes and revealed who she’d want to work with on a rom-com next. We’re truly seated for all of it!
2025 is already proving to be a huge year for you, with projects like Barbarella and your Christy Martin biopic on the horizon. Both are based on iconic figures—how did you interpret each role?
Christy Martin has been such an incredible transformation—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s been one of the most immersive transformations I’ve ever made, and being able to have Christy on set with me almost every day has been inspiring and so emotional at the same time. I remember on the last day, we were all crying and it was such a beautiful experience. It was also empowering to see someone who’s gone through so much, sitting there and watching her life be performed and put together on a big screen.
It’s truly an honor to be able to do it, and I’m so excited for Barbarella as well. Having such empowering and iconic female characters to play is a treat for me—it’s honestly all a dream.
Speaking of big career moments, this is your first-ever ad during the big game. These spots often become part of pop culture history. Were you thinking about that legacy while filming?
I’ve just been pinching myself all day. It’s such an iconic thing to be part of with Meg and Billy and everybody here. I’m looking around in shock that I am a part of this and I’m so excited. I think the fans are gonna have a good time with it as well.
Okay, I have to know: What has it been like working with rom-com royalty like Meg and Billy? Had you met before working on the ad?
We had not met before. Honestly, it’s been such a surreal experience because I really feel like they are part of the films that paved the way for the rom-com genre and it’s evident in how many people love those films. Being able to be in this moment with them and especially recreating such an iconic moment...I don’t know what life is right now. It’s really, really cool.
What is the first ad you remember seeing? Do you have any favorites?
Oh my gosh. I mean, I do feel like the Hellmann’s commercial last year was really funny. I’m more of a dog person, but I think that the cat, Kate McKinnon, and Pete Davidson were really good and I enjoyed it. That one definitely stood out to me, and they always have really fun commercials every single year.
Do you have any must-have snacks or meals that help you power through long days on set?
I don’t know if you’ve seen Anyone But You, but one of the big moments was eating grilled cheese, and it’s one of my favorite snacks. I always make them grilled in mayo, so being able to put rom-coms and mayo and grilled cheese all in one space through this Hellmann’s ad feels like a huge, world-building, everything’s closing-in moment.
First of all, I love Anyone But You. The fact that it played a role was personal to me because I’m a grilled cheese connoisseur and I do that same trick with the mayo. I felt so seen.
Yeah, and then seeing all the TikToks of people with grilled cheese after the movie came out was so funny. It was a really fun moment to be part of.
That film brought the art of the rom-com back to the masses and kickstarted a resurgence for a new audience. Do you have a favorite recent rom-com?
God, I am a sucker for old rom-coms, from the early 2000s era. Give me more like My Best Friend’s Wedding, and I feel like I’m good. Would we classify Crazy Rich Asians as a rom-com?
Of course! I watched it for the first time a few months ago, actually, and I was locked in. The concept is so silly and I love the parties in massive houses and the original Monster-in-Law vibe—that’s another really great one.
Completely! Rom-coms deserve to be big, world-building, and fun experiences.
When Harry Met Sally follows the friendship-to-lovers trope while Anyone But You nails enemies-to-lovers. Do you have any favorite tropes you love seeing onscreen?
Enemies to lovers, for sure. I think that’s why I gravitated toward Anyone But You so much. It’s a trope where you’re like, “I hope this happens to me in real life one day,” and you wait for it. That’s one of my favorites because there’s a thin line between the tension of absolutely not standing somebody but you know them so well, and that’s why you’re able to have that hate and play off of each other because you can really twist the knife.
Any reason I have to wax poetic about a rom-com, especially with someone who's a force in the genre now, is just so special. So I’m wondering...if you were going to remake When Harry Met Sally in 2025 with yourself as Sally, who would you cast as your Harry?
Don’t even go there, we can’t! This is such a huge responsibility right now...
I know, how dare I even ask!
Oh my goodness. I just watched Gladiator II, so I’d love to work with Paul Mescal. I think he’s amazing and I’d love to see him in a really fun rom-com. I feel like we need him in a rom-com.
Parts of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity.
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