Sydney Sweeney‘s Change for “Christy“
Sydney Sweeney’s performance as boxing icon Christy Martin in the biopic Christy is generating meaningful awards buzz following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2025. The role demanded a complete physical and emotional transformation for the Euphoria star, challenging conventional Hollywood beauty standards.
Too embody Martin, sweeney undertook a rigorous six-month training regimen guided by a nutritionist, strength coach, and boxing coach. This included a high-calorie diet, peaking at 4,000 calories per day, focused on lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats to build strength and functional mass. Sweeney described the diet as a deliberate departure from typical Hollywood expectations.
The physical training was equally demanding.Sweeney dedicated herself to boxing drills, sparring daily, and strength training, focusing on replicating Martin’s stance, footwork, and compact fighting style. A key element of the readiness involved recreating a boxing match with Laila Ali, a sequence Sweeney found both challenging and rewarding.
Beyond the physical demands, Sweeney immersed herself in Martin’s life story, studying interviews and fight footage to understand the boxer’s resilience in the face of both professional and personal adversity, including navigating a male-dominated sport and surviving domestic violence. the training resulted in visible physical changes and,according to Sweeney,a newfound confidence.
The world premiere of Christy at TIFF was met with a prolonged standing ovation. Sweeney expressed gratitude to Martin and generations of women fighters for paving the way for the film. Early reviews have praised the film’s emotional impact and Sweeney’s credible portrayal of the boxing legend, leading to speculation about a potential 2026 Oscar nomination for Best Actress. As of September 12, 2025, Christy is a central topic of conversation at TIFF, and the film’s success could mark a defining moment in Sweeney’s career.
