Sydney Sweeney explains why she was ‘nervous’ to play legendary lesbian boxer Christy Martin

Sydney Sweeney is disclosing what it was like to star in Christy, the upcoming biopic of lesbian boxing legend Christy Martin, and revealing what one aspect made her “really nervous”.

Euphoria actress and social media firebrand Sweeney stars as the titular boxing champion in Christy, directed by David Michôd.

The sports drama charts the now 57-year-old’s career beginnings and rise to the top of the boxing industry in the 1990s, and dabbles in her volatile marriage of convenience with her abusive husband and manager Jim. He was 25 years her senior when they wed.

Christy follows the superweight titan as she reaches her career pinnacle, and then sees her status slowly decline, much to the chagrin of Jim. As a result, he ups his physicall and emotional abuse, and uses drugs as a means of controlling her.

Later in life, Martin came out publicly as a lesbian, and in 2017, she married her former boxing rival, Lisa Holewyne. In Christy, Holewyne is played by queer Love Lies Bleeding star Katy O’Brian.

During her career Christy Martin won 49 out of the 59 professional fights she competed in. In 2020, she was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, during the first year that women featured on the ballot.

Speaking to Deadline at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where the film premiered, Sweeney explained that she was “nervous” to begin work on the film because Martin was also involved in its production.    

“I have to admit, at first I was very nervous, because, I mean, she’s right there, and I’m portraying her. She is such an inspiring, incredible woman, and I wanted to do justice by her. So first I was really nervous,” she admitted.

“But then, after you spend time with Christy, and you get to know her and you’re close with her, you want her around all the time. I kept texting her, ‘When are you going to come visit? When are you going to come back?’ I loved having her presence there.”

Sweeney added that she and the rest of the film’s crew fed off her “energy and her spirit”.

In order to take on the role, which was announced in May 2024, Sweeney sought advice from nutritionists and weight trainers as she needed to step into Martin’s form.

She gained 30 pounds, which she said she “absolutely loved”, as she “felt Christy’s power” as her body transformed.

“I really enjoyed being able to train and work with incredible boxing coaches and weight trainers and nutritionists that helped me get to the place that I was for Christy.”

When is Christy released and what are critics saying about it?

Chrisy premiered at TIFF, and will screen at other film festivals this autumn, including the London Film Festival in October. It is due for theatrical release in the United States on 7 November and in the UK on 28 November.

The film’s release date means it will be eligible for the 2026 Academy Awards, which is lucky, considering some critics believe it’s a possible Oscars contender. 

Following the film’s premiere, Variety said that Sydney Sweeney “completely transforms” into Christy Martin in the biopic, and “fights her way in” to the Oscars race as a result.

However, not all critics have been so positive, with some dubbing it “cliched” and a “big miss”.

As it stands, based on 13 critics’ reviews, Christy has a middling score of 57 out of 100 on Metacritic. 

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