Actress Sydney Sweeney and I share a few things. 

We’re both blonde (mine is natural; I’m not sure about hers). We have blue eyes. We have the same birthday.

And we were born in the Pacific Northwest − she in Washington, I in Oregon. 

Sadly for me, that’s where the similarities end. And it’s why I work for a newspaper and Sweeney is on the big screen.

Sweeney is beautiful in a classic girl-next-door kind of way. No wonder American Eagle recently chose the 27-year-old to star in some sexy new ads for the clothing company’s jeans. 

The advertising campaign showcases Sweeney’s “great jeans,” with a playful reference to her “genes.” She clearly was gifted with good ones. 

“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” Sweeney says in one ad. “My jeans are blue.”

It’s clever and fun.

So why am I even talking about........

© USA TODAY