It was an emotional premiere for Sydney Sweeney at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with the star getting a standing ovation for her portrayal of famed boxer Christy Martin in Christy. Sweeney had the support of her co-stars Ben Foster and Katy O’Brian on stage at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre, along with Martin herself, and Martin’s dog Champ.
“First, I want to thank all of you guys for being here, because it’s not possible without you guys. Thank you for helping us spread Christy’s story … because, as you can tell, she is such a special and incredible human being. The story deserves to be told,” Sweeney told the crowd as she started to tear up.
“Christy, you are absolutely incredible, and I’m so honoured. … You’re so inspirational, and so being able to have her by my side during this process was a dream. But then also just scary too, because you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re doing this in front of her,’ and I wasn’t quite sure. I mean, she’s the greatest boxer in the entire world, and I’m having to do hooks and hits, and I’m like, ‘I hope I’m doing this right.’ But it was a dream come true as an actor, as a person. It was incredible.”
In terms of the physical transformation Sweeney had to go through, the 27-year-old star shared that she trained for three months before filming. She had a boxing coach, weight trainers, a nutritionist and she trained three times a day — every day — and also trained while she was shooting the movie.
“A lot of Chick-fil-A, a lot of Smucker’s, a lot of milkshakes, a lot of protein shakes,” Sweeney shared. “But it was incredible being able to completely embody such a powerful woman. I felt even stronger. It was truly inspiring.”
Sydney Sweeney stars in Christy. (TIFF)
What is ‘Christy’ about?
Christy tells the compelling story of Martin’s life, from her rise to fame, to the completely shocking and devastating circumstances of her personal life.
Martin, nicknamed “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” in reference to her father’s job, grew up in a small town in West Virginia. She always played sports, particularly basketball, but things changed when she was given the opportunity to try her hand at boxing.
A clear talent, Martin started winning match after match in the ’80s and beyond, training with boxing coach Jim Martin (Foster). But while she achieved great success, Martin’s story is incredibly harrowing.
While Christy identified as a lesbian from a young age and dated her basketball teammate, she had to keep that a secret from her family.
As she continued to hide her sexuality, she married Jim, despite their 25-year age gap, and he abused her throughout their marriage. In 2010, Jim stabbed his wife repeatedly with a knife and shot her, but she survived and Jim was charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
“Every actor has a different door,” Foster said at the premiere about playing Jim. “I was curious to speak with Jim, and then when I spoke with [director David Michôd] and Christy, it felt disrespectful in some capacity, and we were going to find another door.
“So we discussed the subject of coercive control and domestic violence at depth. I spoke with some previous friends, and spoke with Dave. … We just corkscrewed into what is frightfully not Christy’s triumphant career, but those that do struggle at home quietly. That was of the utmost importance, that we honoured that as best we could.”
Martin went on to marry fellow boxer Lisa Holewyne.
From left: Marvin LaViolette, Jess Gabor, Chad L. Coleman, Katy O’Brian, David Michôd, Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster and Coleman Pedigo attend the premiere of Christy during the 2025 TIFF at Princess of Wales Theatre on Sept. 5. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Being a fighter meant so much more for Christy Martin
While Christy and Sweeney’s performance was met with praise at the Toronto premiere, we know that there’s the shadow of Sweeney’s recent American Eagle jeans campaign controversy, avoiding the topic when asked on the Christy red carpet by the Associated Press.
But scandal aside, Christy hits harder than most boxing movies, because for Martin, being a fighter meant so much more than what happens in the ring. The real life story is dark, deep and almost unbelievable, and the film leans into the honesty of Martin’s circumstances.
Sweeney completely transformed for the role. It’s not just a hair change or a costume we haven’t seen her in before, it’s a full physical and emotional shift. Pairing this evolution of Sweeney’s craft with Foster, a well-established actor who really disappears into his roles, the combination of their performances gives Christy this unwavering intensity.
On the subject of Foster, his performance is horrifying and alarming, in a way that’s certainly necessary for the character, but rightly so, resulted in strong gasps from the Toronto audience.
While many biopics leave you with a smile and a sense of hope, Christy isn’t completely hopeless, but you do leave feeling the scars of the film’s most disturbing scenes.
With the film spanning decades of Martin’s life, there’s a lot to fit into the film’s 135-minute runtime, with some points in the story feeling better served than others for the pace of the movie. But Martin’s story is one that should get as much attention as possible, and Sweeney has never been so committed, challenging and ferocious in a role before.