Sydney Sweeney loves a challenge, whether she’s breaking into Hollywood through several prestige HBO dramas, producing her own films, or transforming her body and mind for Oscar-caliber roles. But in a recent interview, the Emmy-nominated actress revealed that one surprising bucket list goal is to team up with The White Lotus creator and Survivor competitor, Mike White, for The Amazing Race, and the director and writer made an A+ point about it.
Sweeney, who worked with White on HBO’s Emmy-winning series The White Lotus, shared her admiration for his reality TV history during a wide-ranging profile with Variety. Yes, the School of Rock co-writer has already competed on both Survivor and The Amazing Race, but Sweeney is floating the idea of joining him for another go-round on the globe-trotting competition. She explained:
Honestly, Mike and I would be a killer team.
She’s probably right. Mike White isn’t just a brilliant writer-director; he also made it to the final four on Survivor: David vs. Goliath and previously competed on two seasons of The Amazing Race alongside his father. Sweeney, on the other hand, before going full Rocky for her role as Christy Martin in the upcoming sports biopic, Christy, trained in MMA growing up and has shown she can thrive under high-pressure, physically demanding conditions both on set and in real life. If we’re building a dream team, this duo is seriously stacked.
And the script doctor-turned-reality-TV-scene-stealer seems to agree with the Anyone But You star. Here is what he said on the matter:
I would definitely win with her. She’s the master at getting what she wants. And I mean that in an absolutely good way.
White makes a wonderful point. And anyone who’s watched Sweeney navigate the Hollywood machine, her American Eagle jeans controversy, and red-carpet moments with both grace and grit knows he’s got a point. It also helps that the two have history.
White cast Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher in The White Lotus, a role that the rising Hollywood powerhouse made her own by adding unexpected layers of vulnerability to an otherwise cold and cutting character. The mind behind the series admits he didn’t initially envision the young actress for the part, that was until she walked in and completely redefined it. Since then, their creative bond has only grown.
Would The Amazing Race actually cast them as a team? Who knows. But if CBS and host Phil Keoghan are paying attention, this has all the makings of a prestige-meets-pop-culture crossover that could get everyone talking. Just picture the A-list duo rocking matching backpacks—it’s a win-win for CBS anyway you slice it.
For now, it’s just a fun hypothetical. But if you’ve been following Sydney Sweeney’s meteoric rise, you know better than to bet against her—especially when she sets her sights on something.
Up next on her 2025 movie slate is Christy, landing in theaters on November 7. As for Mike White, he’s heading back to the island for Survivor’s landmark 50th season, which will air in the spring of 2026.