Sydney Sweeney had to put on some weight for her new role as boxing legend Christy Martin.
The Euphoria actress will be playing Martin in the film CHRISTY, but shared that part of her training required eating quite a lot to pack on an extra 30 pounds.
“I had a nutritionist work with me as well as a weight trainer and a boxing trainer,” Sweeney explained during an interview at the Variety Toronto Film Festival Studio. “We upped my calorie intake, and I started taking a lot of protein shakes and supplements and eating everything. I ate a lot of Smuckers, a lot of PB and J sandwiches, milkshakes, kind of just constantly always eating because we were so active. I was constantly burning it all off at the same time. So keeping it all up was quite a challenge.”
On top of having to gain weight, the actress also had to work out extensively in the ring.
"I was getting pummeled,” Sweeney said. “They were holding ice packs to my face in between takes. I was getting knocked up. I had some gnarly bruises after that.”
The autobiographical sports film takes a look at Martin's life inside and out of the ring as she battles a toxic relationship with her ex-husband Jim Martin, and identity, all the while making a name for herself as a boxing champion.
Sweeney stars alongside Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brian, Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad Coleman, Bryan Hibbard, Tony Cavalero, and Gilbert Cruz.
The film is directed by David Michôd, who did not hesitate to cast Sweeney as the boxing icon.
“I knew that she was already a fighter,” Michôd said. “I saw her in that HBO film ‘Reality’ from a few years ago. So I knew she had acting chops, and I was excited by the prospect of taking those acting chops to a bigger audience.”
“I’m just glad that Christy’s story is out there,” Sweeney said.
CHRISTY hits theaters on November 7. Take a look at the trailer below:
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