Sydney Sweeney is sharing the “crazy” transformation and preparation that went into portraying pioneering female boxer Christy Martin in a new biopic set for release later this year.
Speaking to W Magazine for the actress’ new cover story, the film’s director David Michôd said the Emmy-nominated Euphoria star gained more than 30 pounds to play the athlete, who put female boxing on the map in the ’90s, covered Sports Illustrated and fought on Mike Tyson’s undercard.
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“I loved it,” the Anyone but You star said of the behind-the-scenes training. “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.”
Sweeney, who also donned brown contact lenses and a brunette wig fashioned into a mullet-like hairstyle for the role, added, “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.”
Amid production for the film last year, which has since wrapped, Sweeney shared the first photos of herself as Martin, writing at the time on social media, “Over the past few months, i’ve been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman—a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring. Her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I’m honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all. more to come soon.”
The as-yet untitled biopic, which hails from a script co-written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes, follows Martin’s story as the first breakout in U.S. female boxing. The biopic will trace her rise to fame and the abuse she faced at the hands of her then-husband, who attempted 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,” Michôd told W Magazine of the project.
Just this weekend, Sweeney and Martin were seen during the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s annual Parade of Champions held in Canastota, NY, where the actress was the grand marshal of the event.
Outside of the biopic, Sweeney just wrapped production on The Housemaid, a Paul Feig-helmed adaptation which she co-produced. She is currently filming for Euphoria Season 3, as well as producing and starring in Scandalous! — directed by Colman Domingo, about the relationship between Sammy Davis Jr. and Kim Novak. Her previously announced Barbarella remake is also in process. Beyond that, she will be seen in Americana, releasing Aug. 22, 2025.
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The post “My Body Was Completely Different” appeared first on Deadline.
