The biopic, which began filming in 9/2024, will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 9/2025. Sweeney, who plays the lead role, shared a first look of her transformation on her Instagram account with 25.2 million followers on 22/7.
"Christy’s journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope", Sweeney shared. "I’m honored to bring her story to life and share it with the world."
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Actress Sydney Sweeney (left) and boxing legend Christy Martin (right). Photo: Marca |
Actress Sydney Sweeney (left) and boxing legend Christy Martin (right). Photo: Marca
The American actress's physical transformation has garnered significant attention. According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, Sweeney gained 30 pounds, mostly muscle, going from 115 to 143 pounds to prepare for the role.
Sweeney dedicated three and a half months to training for the role. This involved a rigorous schedule of an hour of weightlifting in the morning, two hours of kickboxing at midday, and another hour of weightlifting in the evening, along with a strict diet. The physical changes even impacted her wardrobe.
"I went from a size 23 in jeans to a size 27", she recounted. "My chest, butt, everything grew. It’s pretty insane."
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Sydney Sweeney before filming Christy. Photo: Instagram/sydney_sweeney |
Sydney Sweeney before filming Christy. Photo: Instagram/sydney_sweeney
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Sydney Sweeney gained 30 pounds to portray former boxer Christy Martin. Photo: Instagram/sydney_sweeney |
Sydney Sweeney gained 30 pounds to portray former boxer Christy Martin. Photo: Instagram/sydney_sweeney
The actress, born in 1997, has a background in wrestling and kickboxing, which she practiced from ages 12 to 19. While eager to return to the ring after a long break, she acknowledged the effort required to embody Christy.
"It takes a lot mentally and physically, but I love a challenge", Sweeney said. "I’m so driven by the story of a woman who faced adversity and overcame it."
Christy Martin, born in 1968 in West Virginia, USA, had a professional boxing career spanning from 1989 to 2012. She held the WBC super welterweight title (147 to 154 pounds) in 2009. Her record stands at 49 wins (31 by knockout), seven losses, and three draws. Nicknamed the "Coal Miner's Daughter", she was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020, the first year women were included.
Beyond boxing, Martin's life has been documented in the film "Untold: Deal with the Devil" and her memoir "Fighting for Survival". "My story is about sex, domestic violence, child molestation, and being an underdog", she said.
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Christy Martin (right) training with her ex-husband James Martin (left). Photo: Netflix |
Christy Martin (right) training with her ex-husband James Martin (left). Photo: Netflix
Martin revealed she was sexually abused by a family acquaintance as a child. From 5th grade, she identified as a lesbian and fell in love with a teammate on her high school basketball team.
In 1991, at 22, Martin married her 47-year-old manager, James Martin, describing it as a "marriage of convenience". She alleges enduring both physical and emotional abuse from him. James was accused of using cocaine to control Christy and using her fight winnings to fund his lavish lifestyle.
In 2010, Christy filed for divorce. That November, James shot her at least once and stabbed her multiple times, leaving her for dead. Miraculously, she survived.
James, after a failed suicide attempt, was arrested seven days later. In 2012, he was convicted of attempted second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years in prison, and died in 11/2024.
"Christy’s got a granite chin. You could hit her with a sledgehammer, and she’d stand there and look at you", James said of his ex-wife while incarcerated.
Trung Thu (Marca)
