Glen Powell Admits He and Sydney Sweeney Leaned Into Romance Rumors to Promote 'Anyone But You'

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell's chemistry did not go unnoticed as they filmed and promoted Anyone But You last year -- and according to a new interview with the actor, that was all part of the plan.

The two stars sparked romance rumors in 2023 amid their rom-com, Anyone But You, which were only exacerbated by Powell's breakup with ex-girlfriend Gigi Paris and Sweeney not wearing her engagement ring from fiancé Jonathan Davino.

As Powell has since told The New York Times, "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." Added the Top Gun: Maverick actor, "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."

The actor credited his co-star, Sweeney, who also served as an executive producer of the movie and acknowledged to The New York Times her role in the marketing of the movie, including fostering social media trends by re-sharing fan videos on her Instagram Story. The newspaper also noted a promotional video of the co-stars whispering pickup lines to each other, for which the comment section is littered with fans expressing their suspicions about the true nature of their off-screen relationship.

Addressing the extent of her involvement in the marketing, Sweeney told the Times she was "on every call."

"I wanted to make sure that we were actively having a conversation with the audience as we were promoting this film," she said, "because at the end of the day, they're the ones who created the entire narrative."

But, as Powell admitted, they evidently helped it along. In behind-the-scenes interviews shared exclusively with ET, Powell said, "This movie has felt like a rom-com in itself because Sydney is very easy to pretend fall in love with."

Of filming a rom-com, Powell added, "The ideas of love are swirling through your head while these big romantic moments are happening. So, sometimes [it's] harder to differentiate between real life and fake life."

They're not the first stars to convince fans of a real romance through their project. Back in 2019 -- on the heels of her Oscar win for A Star Is Born -- Lady Gaga addressed the speculation that she and co-star Bradley Cooper were actually in love after their performance at the ceremony.

"Social media, quite frankly, is the toilet of the internet," she said in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel. "...Yes, people saw love and guess what -- that's what we wanted you to see. This is a love song, 'Shallow.' The movie A Star Is Born -- it's a love story."

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