Actors undergoing physical transformations for roles is nothing new, but Sydney Sweeney’s preparation to play pioneering boxer Christy Martin – who rose to prominence in the ’90s – manages to stand out.
Speaking to W Magazine for her new cover story, Sydney shared the ‘crazy’ changes her body went through to play the first female fighter elected to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, in 2016, revealing that the training for the role led her to gain 30 lbs (13.7 kg).
‘I loved it,’ the Euphoria star shared. ‘I came on board to play Christy, and I had about three and a half months of training. I started eating. I weight trained in the morning for an hour, kick boxed midday for about two hours, and then weight trained again at night for an hour.
‘My body was completely different. I didn’t fit in any of my clothes. I’m usually a size 23 in jeans and I was wearing a size 27. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge. It was crazy! I was like, “Oh my God.” But it was amazing: I was so strong, like crazy strong.’
David Michôd, the director and cowriter of the untitled film set for release later this year, gave readers some more context about Martin’s life and her impact in gaining recognition for women’s boxing: ‘She was the first woman fighter on the cover of Sports Illustrated and fought on the Mike Tyson undercard. Her husband was also her trainer, and then, after her success, he tried to murder her. Our film is a wild mix of inspiring underdog sports-world story and personal saga.’
He added that Sydney ‘trained her butt off to play the part’ and praised her can-do attitude: ‘The beauty of Sydney is that she turned up to work every day with her tail wagging, ready to go. No matter how tough it was, she was like a ray of sunshine… an adorable, tough moppet with late-’80s hair, ready to box. Sydney was happiest when she was in the ring punching and being punched.’
Sydney’s account come six months after she hit back at body shamers criticising her changed appearance by sharing footage on Instagram of her completing rigorous exercises for the film, including straight-bar tricep pushdowns, GHD extensions, push-ups, giant-tyre flipping and numerous boxing drills.
‘I’ve been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman – a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring,’ she told fans in October. ‘Her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I’m honoured to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all.’
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