Acclaimed actor Ben Foster has opened up about his latest role in the harrowing boxing biopic Christy, his profound respect for co-star and producer Sydney Sweeney, and his notorious dedication to his craft. Speaking from a London hotel room ahead of the film's festival premiere, the 45-year-old offered a thoughtful insight into portraying one of his most unsettling characters to date.
Finding Humanity in a Monster
Christy tells the powerful true story of champion boxer Christy Salters, played by Sydney Sweeney, and her survival of an attempted murder by her abusive husband-manager, Jim Martin, portrayed by Foster. The film charts Christy's rise in women's boxing while she lived as a closeted lesbian in a marriage defined by coercive control.
Foster revealed he was previously unfamiliar with the term 'coercive control', a form of psychological abuse that is not illegal in the United States as it is in the UK. "I studied it, and talked to some people who were friends with Christy at the time," he said. "Anybody who's exerting that kind of control... it is systematic."
When asked how he locates the humanity in such a monstrous man, Foster explained his process. "There's no getting around what he ultimately did to her," he stated. "But as a storyteller, you're not playing the whole story in every scene. To me, it felt important to at least understand for myself that it came from a place of tremendous fragility."
Praise for a 'Powerhouse' Co-Star
Foster was effusive in his praise for Sydney Sweeney, who also produced the film. "Sydney is her own force," he said fondly. "She came in extremely prepared, knew the crew's names, was always ready to work. I'd be knackered at the end of the day, and she'd go train for another three hours to fight the next morning."
He also commented on the intense public scrutiny the 28-year-old actor navigates. "Sydney is in a zeitgeist worldview that is... unique. And I think she's handling it incredibly well. She's a powerhouse," Foster remarked, adding that he himself avoids all social media. "I'm not on any social media at all. And have never been... But she plays in that field. I find her incredibly impressive."
Beyond the 'Preposterous' Method Stories
The interview inevitably turned to the well-worn anecdotes about Foster's intense commitment to roles, from eating dirt for Lone Survivor to deforming his tooth for Hell or High Water. Foster acknowledges that strung together, these stories can make his process sound "preposterous".
He draws a distinction, however, between the reality and the narrative. "You're a full grown adult wearing other people's clothes saying other words that you wouldn't necessarily say in scenarios you wouldn't believe. As a career choice, that could be considered preposterous," he admitted with a smile, before turning serious. "It's also as ancient a profession as there is in any community – a storyteller."
Foster's career began on the Disney Channel and in teen comedies like Get Over It, but he has largely steered clear of both television and blockbusters since his early success. He briefly entered the superhero genre with X-Men: The Last Stand, a film he says he doesn't have much of a relationship with now, though he recalls being terrified of a 180-foot stunt drop.
Ultimately, for Foster, Christy is a story of inspiration and survival. "Christy Martin – the real Christy Martin – broke all kinds of boundaries in the sport, with her identity, and survived the impossible," he said earnestly. "Ultimately I find it a very inspiring story."
He concluded by expressing relief at having moved on from the dark headspace of his character. "It's really nice not waking up and going to work considering Jim every day. I've shook him."
Christy is released in UK cinemas from 28 November.
