Actress Sydney Sweeney, who portrays female boxing champion Christy Martin in the upcoming biopic titled ‘Christy,’ has shared insights on her significant changes to diet and exercise for the role.
Intensive Training Regime
The 28-year-old star, speaking at the Hamptons International Film Festival, revealed, “Every morning I would weight train for an hour, then I would go and do boxing for three hours, and then another hour of weight training at night.”
She added, “I did that every single day for three months, with a nutritionist, so eating a bunch of food and protein shakes and supplements. I, in that span of time, gained like 35 lbs (15.88 kg).”
Collaboration with Christy Martin
Sweeney emphasized that Christy was “very involved” during the film’s production, noting that her presence was invaluable in perfecting the portrayal of the boxer. “She kind of became my best friend. Having her with us was a really powerful experience,” Sweeney mentioned.
She further explained, “I’ve never had the person who I’m portraying watch me. You’re never really sure what they’re thinking. But as it went on, I just wanted her there the entire time because I was able to study her and listen to her and have her thoughts and opinions there whenever I needed.”
A Transformative Experience
The actress mentioned her commitment to fully embodying the role, stating, “So I try not to carry any of my own stuff into their life. But I honestly learned so much from Christy that I applied to myself.”
Sweeney had previously asserted her determination not to use a stunt double for any of the boxing scenes in the movie. “Every single fight you see, we are actually punching each other. We are going full force. I always believed that you would not be able to make it feel real if it’s a stunt double or if it’s faking the hits,” she said.
The Impact of Christy Martin’s Story
Christy Martin rose to fame as the most well-known female boxer in the US during the 1990s. She was also a victim of an attempted murder by her abusive husband, James Martin, in 2010. Sweeney expressed her shock that Christy’s story hasn’t been told on a “global” level.