Glen Powell admitted in a New York Times interview that he and Sydney Sweeney fully embraced rumors about their supposed affair while they were promoting their unexpectedly successful romantic comedy “Anyone but You.” He mentioned his co-star as the source of the idea.
“In order to sell a romantic comedy, you need to convey fun and chemistry. Sydney and I have a lot of fun together, and we have natural chemistry,” said Powell. “People wanted what they saw on screen to be real, and sometimes you just have to go along with it a bit — and it worked very well. Sydney is very clever.”
Sweeney was more indirect, but mentioned that she was very involved in the film’s marketing plan.
“I was involved in every call. I was in group text chats. I probably kept everyone at Sony marketing and distribution awake at night because I couldn’t stop coming up with ideas,” Sweeney said. “I wanted to ensure that we were actively engaging with the audience while promoting this film, because ultimately, they are the ones who crafted the whole narrative.”
One of the methods they used was a video — which Sweeney said she urged Sony to release — showing her and Powell whispering suggestive “ASMR pickup lines.” The video gained 25 million views on TikTok.
@anyonebutyoumovie *whispers* …hey. 😏 Hear #SydneySweeney and #GlenPowell talk in a socially appropriate volume in #AnyoneButYou ♬ Anyone But You is in Theaters December 22 – anyonebutyou
Their interviews were part of a Times article investigating the factors behind the success of “Anyone but You,” a rom-com that gained popularity gradually.
The chemistry shown by Powell and Sweeney complemented what the public knew about their real-life relationships. Powell’s girlfriend, model “Gigi” Paris, broke up with him while he was promoting the film. Sweeney has been engaged to businessman Jonathan Davino since 2022, and there were rumors about their relationship for several years before that.
The press tour for “Anyone but You” included moments like Powell and Sweeney playfully describing their first meeting, with Sweeney also saying, “You’re not bad on the eyes, either.” They also made jokes about their pairing, with Powell making multiple appearances during Sweeney’s recent episode hosting “Saturday Night Live.”
Actors playing up potential real-life chemistry to attract moviegoers is a common strategy. For example, the public couldn’t stop talking about Oscar Isaac and the way he held Jessica Chastain’s arm on the red carpet while promoting the limited series “Scenes From a Marriage” in 2021. However, actors generally don't admit to it.
Certainly, if there was really an affair to conceal, wouldn’t these be the types of things you would expect them to say? You can find more details about the article from The Times exploring the success behind “Anyone but You” here.
