Glen Powell admitted in a New York Times interview that he and Sydney Sweeney totally leaned into rumors that they were having an affair as they promoted their surprise hit romantic comedy “Anyone but You.” He credited the idea to his costar.
“The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry. Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry,” Powell said. “That’s people wanting what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very smart.”
Sweeney played more coy, but noted that she was deeply involved in the film’s marketing strategy.
“I was on every call. I was in text group chats. I was probably keeping everybody over at Sony marketing and distribution awake at night because I couldn’t stop with ideas,” Sweeney said. “I wanted to make sure that we were actively having a conversation with the audience as we were promoting this film, because at the end of the day, they’re the ones who created the entire narrative.”
Among the tactics the pair deployed was a video — which Sweeney said she pushed Sony to release — featuring her and Powell whispering dirty “ASMR pickup lines.” The video earned 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 for a Times article exploring what made “Anyone but You” a slow-growing rom-com hit.
The chemistry displayed by Powell and Sweeney worked hand-in-hand with what the public knew about their real-life relationships. Powell’s girlfriend, model “Gigi” Paris, broke up with him as he promoted the film. Sweeney has been engaged to businessman Jonathan Davino since 2022 and they were rumored to be dating for several years before that.
The press tour for “Anyone but You” included moments like Powell and Sweeney playfully describing when they first met, with Sweeney adding, “You’re not bad on the eyes, either.” They also joked about the pairing with multiple cameos by Powell during Sweeney’s recent episode hosting “Saturday Night Live.”
Actors playing up potential real-life sparks to get moviegoers hearts all aflutter is a common tactic. For example, there’s a reason everyone talked about Oscar Isaac and the way he took Jessica Chastain’s arm on the red carpet while they promoted 2021’s limited series “Scenes From a Marriage.” But the actors usually don’t cop to it.
Of course, if there really was some sort of affair to cover up, aren’t these the types of things you would expect them to say? You can read more of the Times article exploring the story behind the success of “Anyone but You” here.
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