Sydney Sweeney loved transforming her body for her upcoming Christy Martin biopic.
“I felt very strong and powerful,” Sweeney, 27, told Vanity Fair in an interview published on Thursday, September 4. “I loved it. Being able to lose myself to become a vessel for somebody else is my dream.”
The actress gained between 30 and 35 pounds to portray the former professional boxer in the film and spent three months boxing for several hours a day, as well as weight training and working with a nutritionist.
Sweeney, who trained in jujitsu, grappling and kickboxing as a teenager, said she took time to learn proper boxing techniques and stances.
“My stances and a lot of my technique is different than boxing,” she said of her past martial arts experiences. “You square up differently, and, of course, you don’t get brought to the ground — everything’s on your feet.”
After honing her skills, Sweeney stepped into the ring to compete in real fights.
“Every single fight you see [in Christy], we are actually punching each other. We are going full force,” she explained. “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.”
Director David Michôd admired Sweeney’s dedication to the role.
“She wanted to do the work. She wanted to train, she wanted to fight, she wanted to transform herself, and we were going to need all of that,” he told the outlet.
Sweeney — who made headlines for her body transformation in 2024 after she shared photos from the Christy set — previously dished on her intense workout routine in an interview with W Magazine.
“I loved it,” she said. “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 revealed that her “body was completely different” after that.
“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,’” she shared. “It was amazing, I was so strong, like crazy strong.”
The Euphoria star then had to transform her body again for her next project in only seven weeks. Michôd, 52, told the outlet he was shocked to see her looking so drastically different.
“I was stunned by the change in her appearance,” he told W. “I had only seen her as an adorable, tough moppet with late-’80s hair, ready to box. Sydney was happiest when she was in the ring punching and being punched. It was shocking to see her being so glamorous.”
Christy follows Martin’s journey as one of America’s most successful female boxers. Her career began in 1989 after she met manager James Martin, who later became her husband. She won the World Boxing female super welterweight title in 2009 and continued to box until 2012.
Christy, 57, nearly died in 2010 after she was attacked by James. He was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. James was later found guilty of attempted second-degree murder. He is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence.
In 2016, Christy became the first woman boxer elected to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. She was later elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020, the first year that women were included on the ballot.
Christy premieres in theaters on November 7.
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