“Anyone Who Knew Christy Really didn’t want to Be anywhere Near Him”: Inside the Intense Recreation of a True Story in Sydney Sweeney‘s Boxing Drama, Christy
The filmmakers behind Christy, the upcoming boxing drama starring Sydney Sweeney, prioritized authenticity to an extraordinary degree, consulting extensively with the real Christy Martin throughout production-and navigating a surprisingly emotional response to the actor portraying her abusive husband.
To ensure accuracy, martin was present on set for roughly a third of the shoot, accompanied by her emotional support dog, Champ, a Pomeranian strikingly similar to the breed featured as Christy’s on-screen pet, a breed Martin favors. Director Michôd noted the rapid bond formed between Sweeney and Martin upon their first meeting.
Initially,Sweeney was hesitant about Martin’s involvement,concerned about maintaining creative control over her performance. However, she quickly relaxed when she realized Martin wasn’t attempting to dictate her acting choices.The moast challenging aspect of recreating the true story proved to be portraying Jim Martin. Actor Foster’s depiction of the older, controlling Jim-complete with a deliberately unsettling combover-was so convincing that individuals who knew the real Jim were deeply disturbed. “He freaked people out on set,” Michôd revealed. ”Anyone who knew Christy and had known her for a long time really didn’t want to be anywhere near him.”
Filmmakers Janicza Bravo Foulkes and Michôd were apprehensive about showing Martin the finished film, but were greatly relieved by her immediate and eager approval. ”Christy doesn’t bullsh-t you,” Foulkes stated.”You can tell when she likes something and she doesn’t. we were just so relieved by her response.”
