Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney is a firm believer in going all in for her work. To prepare for her role as Christy Martin, she even built a gym in her house.
The 28-year-old actress expressed her excitement about transforming herself for the role, as reported by Female First UK. She shared with Britain’s OK! magazine, “I was excited to do it. I wanted desperately to do Christy justice and to make her proud.”
Sydney elaborated, “I really love to play characters that I can disappear into and just totally transform. I threw myself into every aspect of this character. I built a gym in my house, had a professional boxing trainer, a weight trainer, and a nutritionist. I was working hard every day to get where I needed to be physically.”
In her commitment to the role, the ‘Euphoria’ star gained 35 lbs. However, the process was not without its challenges. She admitted, “It was really just part of the process. It was building muscle, lots of protein shakes, and filling up with calories. It was a lot. I felt so sick all the time. I mean, it’s a lot harder to lose than it was to put it on, that’s for sure. But even with the high calorie intake, as soon as I started boxing, the weight would drop off. Afterwards, it was just a matter of redressing that balance.”
The physical demands of the role were just one aspect of the challenge. Sydney mentioned, “The physical stuff was fun. I could train and feel prepared. But then some days it was about going from that to a big emotional scene. It was a different challenge. We were so lucky to have Christy there with us. I was able to talk to her a lot and figure out what her mindset was in those moments. It was all about feeling the moment, working with the script, and just going for it. That’s the way I like to work.”
Reflecting on the experience, Sydney called making the film a “life-changing” experience. When asked what she had taken away from playing Christy, she said, “So much. This has been a life-changing experience for me in such a positive way. Playing Christy and getting to know her has taught me how to stand up for myself and what I need to do to feel stronger in my work life, as well as my personal life.”
She concluded, “It’s made me feel ready to stand up for the people in my life and to always be there for them. It’s also made me remember just how much I love boxing.”