By Nivedita Balu
TORONTO (Reuters) -Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney said she fulfilled a dream playing the role of American professional boxer Christy Martin in “Christy.”
The film debuted on Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Sweeney and Martin walked the red carpet hand in hand.
“(It was) a dream. I was fulfilling everything inside me. I loved it,” Sweeney said.
“She put the time in and her boxing moves are just like mine,” Martin said, standing beside Sweeney with her dog in her arms.
Sweeney transformed into a boxer for the film, gaining 30 pounds to portray one of the most successful female fighters of the 1990s.
The film captures Martin’s rise as a boxing star in the 1980s and her marriage to coach Jim Martin, played by Ben Foster, which resulted in physical and psychological abuse against her.
Director David Michôd brings raw emotion and the harsh reality of Martin’s life story to the screen, addressing themes of misogyny, domestic violence, and sexual identity.
“It’s one thing to be at a (Mike) Tyson fight, it’s another thing to be at a premiere with Sydney Sweeney … (the film) is going to open a lot of eyes with different things we’re dealing with in the world,” Martin said.
Sweeney has faced criticism recently for her ad campaign for American Eagle jeans. The campaign faced backlash on social media over perceived racial undertones related to genetic traits, but has helped the apparel maker engage customers.
She did not comment on whether she would continue as the face of American Eagle.
(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Toronto; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Rod Nickel)
Comments