Christy director reveals why Sydney Sweeney was the right choice to play iconic boxer

Christy Martin's story is one that seems to have been patiently waiting to be told – and now, with the release of biopic Christy later this month, the time has come.

The film follows Martin from her early years in West Virginia to her swift rise to the Boxing Hall of Fame, including her attempted murder at the hands of husband James V Martin.

Sydney Sweeney – best known for her roles in Euphoria, The White Lotus and Madame Web, among many others – takes on the titular role. In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Christy director and co-writer David Michôd and writer Mirrah Foulkes opened up about bringing Martin's story to the big screen, and why Sweeney was so right for the role.

"There was something deeply exciting about the idea of Sydney Sweeney bringing [Christy] to life," Michôd said.

"I'd seen what she could do as an actor and I knew that was going to be a massive journey to bring that character to life, it would be a massive journey for an actor."

"And she was so up for it, which was great," Foulkes added.

The duo went on to share their favourite moments of Sweeney's performance in the film, with both citing boxing sequences.

Foulkes said: "I have one particular moment, which isn't a spoiler, which is quite early in the film, and it's when she has her first professional knockout in the ring.

"And it's one of my favourite moments in the film. Sydney just does this sort of gorgeous, innocent, surprised smile, and it feels so of Christy – not Christy now, but Christy as a young woman – in terms of just this ball of excited energy, and shock that she's found something that she just happens to be so good at – knocking women out.

"I remember seeing that on the day and going, 'there she is, there's Christy Martin.'"

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Michôd echoed similar moments in the film, adding: "I love those moments too. I really like all the fighting in this movie. Each fight has its own personality, and is a reflection of who Christy was at that moment in her life.

"You know, it starts off as this beautiful, innocent, 'I can't believe I've just knocked someone out,' and then next thing you know, because of stuff that's going on outside the ring, suddenly her fighting is full of rage.

"And then her finding a kind of peace in the fighting. It's strange that when she's in the ring and she's pummelling another woman in front of millions of people, she's found a serenity in the middle of it all."

It's hardly a surprise that Foulkes and Michôd saw the actor completely immerse herself in the role. Sweeney has already been vocal about her transformative journey to play Christy Martin, revealing that she gained more than 30 pounds to fully embody the athlete.

In an interview with W Magazine back in June, she explained: "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.

"It was crazy! I was like, 'Oh my god.' But it was amazing. I was so strong, like crazy strong."

Alongside Sweeney, Christy also stars the likes of Ben Foster as Christy's husband James V Martin, Merritt Wever as Christy's mother Joyce, Ethan Embry as Christy's father John Salters, Chad L Coleman as Don King and Katy O'Brian as Lisa Holewyne.

Christy will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 28th November.

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