What you need to know
Sidney Sweeney has alluded to the experience of feeling judged in Hollywood.
“I’m not a fighter in the ring, but I recognize something of myself in (Christy Martin),” Sweeney, 28, said as she took to the stage to accept an award presented to her by Sharon Stone at Variety’s Power of Women event at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
The young actress, who plays professional boxer Martin in the new film Christie, said Martin’s experience as a gay woman in boxing who was victimized by her husband and trainer made her a perfect fit for the role.
“I know what it feels like to be undervalued, to have others define you before you define yourself. I know what it feels like to have to prove that you deserve to be here, that you deserve to be noticed, that you deserve to be taken seriously,” Sweeney said. “But we all have our own battles. Christie reminds us that sometimes strength doesn’t seem great, and sometimes it’s just getting back up again and again, no matter who’s watching.”
Sweeney announced in May 2024 that he would play Martin, an International Boxing Hall of Famer who played professionally from 1989 to 2011.
She said she gained about 35 pounds for the role and said after a special screening of the film on October 11 that playing Martin and meeting the real-life boxer “taught me how to stand up for myself more and how to feel stronger in my personal (and) professional life.”
Gilbert Flores/Variety, via Getty
Sweeney, who split from longtime fiancé Jonathan Davino earlier this year and is currently dating recording executive Scooter Braun, reiterated earlier comments about Martin’s portrayal when she accepted the honor at Variety’s Women of Power event.
“(Martin’s) play taught us that survival is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of taking back the story,” she added in her speech. “And I want all young girls to know that their power is already within them. You don’t have to wait for permission to be brave. You don’t have to shrink yourself down to reassure others. And if you fall, just get back up and you’ll be okay.”
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Gilbert Flores/Variety, via Getty
Sweeney co-stars in the new film with Ben Foster, who plays Martin’s manager and husband Jim. The film’s official synopsis reads: “Christy is a fierce persona in the ring, but outside of it her toughest battles take place: as she confronts family, identity, and the relationships that make the difference between life and death.”
“Christie” will be released in theaters on November 7th.
