Sydney Sweeney’s Christy biopic will show the talented actress in a completely new light as she throws punches as boxer Christy Martin. But I’m sure what made the making of this 2025 movie release very special was having the real-life boxer on set. Sweeney gets real on what it was like to work on the upcoming biopic with Martin present and how she’d “try to lose myself completely” while filming.
At this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), Sydney Sweeney’s performance in Christy gave her the honor of the festival’s Achievement in Acting award. During a post-screening Q&A (via People), the Euphoria star expressed what it was like for the real-life boxer, Christy Martin, to be there on set while portraying her:
She kind of became my best friend. Having her with us was a really powerful experience. 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.
That sounds almost like an on-set guardian angel, in a way. The Anyone But You star has been in biopics before Christy. She portrayed Reality Winner in the HBO Max biopic and Dianne Lake in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But this biopic experience was a lot different in having the real-life historical figure there for Sweeney to learn from and ask for her input whenever she needed it for the movie. I know I would be the same way, too, to ensure that person’s story is told most accurately.
When filming for Christy wrapped up, Sydney Sweeney’s heartfelt message on Instagram credited the International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee for being by her side through it all and “cheering us on.” By having the real person there, Martin’s story could be told authentically and with depth that honors her incredible journey.
Portraying the American boxer who held the WBC female super welterweight title wasn’t without a full transformation on Sweeney’s part. She had to score major gains to play the ‘90s fighter, like 3 ½ months of weight training and kickboxing, as well as putting on at least 35 pounds. However, the Americana actress confidently explained to HIFF that it was all part of the process to fully transform into the real-life role:
I try to lose myself completely for a role, 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.
It appears that Sydney Sweeney’s involvement in Christy is more than just another project to add to her filmography. This was an opportunity to bring an American boxer’s story to life with the privilege of having the film’s actual subject there every step of the way. Not only will Sweeney be playing a remarkable athlete, but she will also connect audiences to Martin’s true struggles and triumphs behind the gloves.
Not every actress is lucky enough to have the true person they’re portraying there with them on set. But Sydney Sweeney having Christy Martin on the set of her biopic helped her lose herself “completely” in the part and come to her whenever she needed. Sure, she may have had ice packs to her face while taking in punches for those fight scenes, but I’m sure the former professional boxer was very proud of Sweeney for the hits she took to tell her story.
Fans around the country will have the chance to see Christy when it hits theaters (with gloves, of course) on November 7, 2025.