Sydney Sweeneyhas experienced a sharp rise through the ranks of Hollywood, driven by her acclaimed performances in shows likeEuphoriaandThe White Lotus, but her next role is one that people may not even recognize her in. The actresssigned on last yearto portray boxing legendChristy Martinin a sports drama biopic directed by David Michôd, and now she has detailed the extreme lengths she went to in order to get into character and achieve her “crazy” transformation that so far has only been glimpsed in a handful of set photos.
In an interview with W Magazine, Sweeney detailed her commitment to delivering a knockout performance as the boxing Hall-of-Famer, as she explained how she underwent intense training and gained more than 30 pounds to portray Martin in the as-yet untitled movie. She admitted thather body was “completely different"after it, but she embraced the challenge and maintained a strict regime to get to where she wanted to be. She also donned brown contact lenses and a brunette mullet-style wig (seen in the photos below) to complete the look.
“I loved it. I came onboard to play Christy, and I had about three and a half months of training. I started eating. I weight-trained in the morning for an hour, kickboxed midday for about two hours, and then weight-trained again at night for an hour. My body was completely different. I didn’t fit in any of my clothes. I’m usually a size 23 in jeans, and I was wearing a size 27. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge. It was crazy! I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ But it was amazing: I was so strong, like crazy strong.”
Sweeney’s hard work looks to have paid off.Photos from the setof the upcoming biopic show the actress looking noticeably buff, having gained extra weight and muscle for the role, while also rocking a curly hairdo, which is well suited to the era since the film is set to follow Martin’s rise to becoming one of the biggest female boxers of the 1990s. Sweeney bears a striking resemblance to the real-life boxer, which is not surprising as she has been adamant about portraying the sports star, who she calls a “true champion,” as accurately as possible.
Christy Martin Biopic Will Be a “Wild Mix” of Drama Inside and Outside the Ring
When it comes to the Christy Martin biopic, Michôd is totally in Sweeney’s corner. The director and co-writer piled on praise for the actress while speaking to W Magazine, as he explained that her enthusiasm for the role shone through each time she was on set. He also acknowledged that the story will present a “wild mix” of drama both inside and outside the ring, as the film will chronicle the boxer’s rise to the top while also showing her struggles away from the spotlight and the abuse she faced at the hands of her then-husband, James Martin.
“Martin put female boxing on the map in the mid-’90s. She was the first woman fighter on the cover ofSports Illustratedand fought on the Mike Tyson undercard. Her husband was also her trainer, and then, after her success, he tried to murder her. Our film is a wild mix of inspiring underdog sports-world story and personal saga. Sydney trained her butt off to play the part. The beauty of Sydney is that she turned up to work every day with her tail wagging, ready to go. No matter how tough it was, she was like a ray of sunshine.”
The film will likely cover the historical moments throughout Martin’s successful career as a professional boxer, but also her marriage, which she referred to as one of convenience, and stated that her husband was emotionally and physically abusive throughout their relationship. Her private life became incredibly public in 2010 when she survived a murder attempt by her husband, who stabbed her multiple times and shot her in their home in Florida. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempted second-degree murder. He died in 2024.
The Christy Martin biopic hails from a script co-written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes. Sweeney leadsthe cast of the feature filmalongside Ben Foster as James Martin, Merritt Weaver, Katy O’Brien, Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad L. Coleman, and Tony Cavalero. The film entered production late last year and is expected to be released before the end of 2025, though it doesn’t have a date on the theatrical release calendar as yet. Hopefully a trailer, offering a better look at Sweeney in the headlining role, will be released as we edge closer.
