Sydney Sweeney Says It Was ‘Terrifying’ to Film in Real Catacombs for Immaculate (Exclusive)

Sydney Sweeney has been introduced to fake blood for her twisted new film Impeccable.

In the film, the actress plays Cecilia, a devout American nun who moves to a convent in Italy, quickly discovering the sinister side of the religious community.

Sweeney, 26, tells PEOPLE that wearing the nun costume was “comfortable,” except that “the habit was probably the most uncomfortable part of the wardrobe. It would crush your ears in a weird way. But everything else was great.”

Sydney Sweeney in “Immaculate”.

Courtesy of NEON

Then, however, came the fake blood. “It’s very sticky, and it’s usually cold,” says the actress. “It’s the worst when they put it on you, but after a while you’re fine. You forget you have it.”

“But then the removal process is extensive,” says Sweeney, also a producer on the project.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Sydney Sweeney in “Immaculate”.

Fabia Lavino/Courtesy of NEON

Sydney Sweeney says that i Anyone but you Costar Glen Powell ‘Thumbs Up’ Sequel Ideas (Exclusive)

Director Michael Mohan estimates they went through “several gallons, for sure,” of prop blood, and says Sweeney “has this uncanny ability to just go to these dark places in the blink of an eye.”

Sweeney — who says her fears in her own life are “clowns and needles” — explains that it’s not hard for her to move out of that dark mindset between the two parts.

Sydney Sweeney.

Amy Sussman/Getty

“It’s a simple on-off switch,” says Sweeney. “I learned from an early age that it’s important to separate myself from my characters as much as possible. Because I’ve done that, I can just jump out of what I’m doing.”

Still, filming the part Impeccable inside the real underground passages it was a “creepy” working day.

“Being able to film in the real catacombs, that was a really scary and haunting and technical experience that we had because you could only be down there for so many minutes because of the air quality, and only so many crew members could go down with you,” she explains.

Sweeney adds, “And it was creepy, seeing everything that was down there.”

The production strove for realism, resulting in a gory final product, so much so that director Mohan was “very shocked that we got an R-rating” without any changes.

Sydney Sweeney in “Immaculate”.

Courtesy of NEON

“The MO was never, ‘We’re making a bloody movie.’ It was more than that because the film is not supernatural, we wanted it to be as real as possible,” says Mohan.

“Also, we don’t dwell on those shots for long, but they really get in your brain in a way that—you just can’t help but see some of the images in this movie.”

Impeccable is in theaters on Friday.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education