At the age of 12, Sydney Sweeney played a heartbreaking role in Season 5 of CBS' "Criminal Minds." Appearing in the season's eighth episode, Sweeney played Dani Forester, a young girl who is killed along with her mother and brother. In a very memorable scene, Sweeney's Dani is shown being held at gunpoint by an intruder who targets her family while her dad is away on military deployment.
The "Criminal Minds" episode, titled "Outfoxed," follows the show's central team as they investigate the murders of the Foresters and the Downeys, a family who was killed in a similar fashion to the Foresters. The episode's murderer appears to be copying an infamous killer dubbed "The Fox," whose case the BAU worked on years earlier. Ultimately, the team ends up seeking advice from the atrocious killer in order to find the copycat.
While Sweeney's "Criminal Minds" role was small, it was still impactful, and it served as an early indication of the actress' willingness to take on dark and tragic roles. Over a decade later, it stands as proof that Sweeney has been playing extremely tough characters ever since she was a child star.
