Sydney Sweeney has opened up about her physical transformation and the real punches she took while portraying boxer Christy Martin in David Michôd's upcoming biopic. The 28-year-old actress gained two-and-a-half stone to match Martin's fighting weight and endured concussions and bloody noses during filming. 'Oh yeah, they were all real. Every fight that you see, we're hitting each other,' Sweeney said cheerfully.
The film, which premiered at the London Film Festival, recreates Martin's real-life fights, including a knockout defeat to Laila Ali in 2003. Sweeney revealed that the actress playing Ali is a professional boxer in the US Air Force, adding: 'She hit hard and it was very, very real. She's how I got my concussion.' Despite the injuries, Sweeney said she loved the experience and felt she truly 'became a fighter'.
Beyond the physical demands, the film explores Martin's abusive relationship with her husband and manager, Jim Martin, played by Ben Foster. Director David Michôd said the biggest draw was 'the opportunity the movie presented to explore how these coercive control relationships function'. Foster, who gained weight for the role, recalled Sweeney mistaking his double chin for a prosthetic.
Sweeney, known for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus, has also faced controversy off-screen, including a culture war sparked by a jeans advert. She reflected: 'I can't control how others perceive me.' The film is set for release in 2025.
