In the past few years, Sydney Sweeney's career has blossomed into a kaleidoscope of genres, weaving through romantic comedies, horror thrills, action-packed sequences, and now, with the release of Christy, a heart-wrenching sports drama. This versatility is exactly what the actress craves.
At the AFI Fest in Hollywood on Saturday, Sweeney premiered Christy, a story that centers around Christy Martin - the most successful female boxer of the '90s, whose tumultuous personal life played out behind closed doors. "Christy's story is nothing short of extraordinary," Sweeney shared with The Hollywood Reporter. "Even if I wasn't going to act in it, I wanted to be a part of it in some capacity to bring her to the screen, to let more people know about her and raise awareness for her incredible advocacy and role model status."
But as an actor, Sweeney admits that the dream was to embody these diverse characters. "That's why I fell in love with this project," she says. "Getting to put on all these different hats and shoes, to lose myself and become someone else." To become Martin, Sweeney underwent months of rigorous training and gained 30 pounds. Recounting at the premiere, she explained how "every single fight you see is the exact same fight that she had in the ring. So every combination, everything you see is real life."
When it came time for Martin to finally see the completed film, Sweeney was overcome with emotion when the real-life boxer called to praise her. "I remember she said, 'I felt like you went back in time and you were there during these moments in my life because I don't know how else someone would have known that I talk like that, walk like that, move like that.'" The emotional impact was profound.
After such a transformative experience, does Sweeney's future hold similar ventures? "Yes and no," she jokes. "I'm always looking for something completely new, but everyone's like, 'Sydney Sweeney's doing that?'" The thrill of challenging herself fuels her search for new projects that challenge or excite her in new ways. Christy hits theaters on November 7th.
