Sydney Sweeney lands a knockout at TIFF with 鈥楥hristy,鈥 stoking Oscar buzz
TORONTO (AP) 鈥 Sydney Sweeney came to the 色色啦 International Film Festival wanting to talk about her new film 鈥淐hristy,鈥 not her American Eagle ad campaign. After a rapturous response to the movie, she鈥檚 getting her wish.
Sydney Sweeney refuses to talk about her recent American Eagle ad controversy during the premiere of her film 'Christy' at the 色色啦 International Film Festival. (Sept. 5, 2025)
TORONTO (AP) 鈥 Sydney Sweeney came to the 色色啦 International Film Festival wanting to talk about her new film 鈥淐hristy,鈥 not her American Eagle ad campaign. After a rapturous response to the movie, she鈥檚 getting her wish.
The 27-year-old, Emmy-nominated actor landed immediate Oscar buzz for her performance in David Mich么d鈥檚 biopic of the boxer Christy Salters Martin. For the role, Sweeney transforms into the female boxing trailblazer who emerged out of West Virginia as the 鈥淐oal Miner鈥檚 Daughter鈥 to rise to the top of her then-nascent sport.
Following a rousing reception from the TIFF audience Friday, Sweeney stood beside Martin on the stage of the Princess of Wales Theatre, calling it the experience of her life.
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The cast of boxing biopic 鈥楥hristy鈥 reflected on bringing the renowned fighter鈥檚 vulnerable story to life while celebrating the film鈥檚 premiere at the 色色啦 International Film Festival. Star Sydney Sweeney was joined on the red carpet by the real Christy Martin and her dog, as co-stars Ben Foster and Coleman Pedigo praised Sweeney's performance and the chance to honour the boxer鈥檚 legacy. (Sept. 5, 2025)
The Canadian Press
鈥淚t was a dream come true, as an actor, as a person,鈥 Sweeney said.
While Martin had a career decorated with belts and a Sports Illustrated cover, her story is defined by struggle. She was raised to deny her gay identity and instead married her trainer, Jim Martin. After years of psychological and physical abuse, he attempted to kill her in 2010, repeatedly stabbing her and shooting her. Jim Martin was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He died last November.
Sweeney鈥檚 performance alongside Ben Foster, who plays Jim Martin, was swiftly hailed as her best yet. TIFF has long been a launching pad for Oscar campaigns before, and the thunderous reception for 鈥淐hristy,鈥 and particularly seemed sure to add her to the awards conversation.
Regardless, 鈥淐hristy鈥 gives Sweeney the best big-screen showcase yet of her rapidly evolving career. And given that she appears throughout it in short dark hair with a more muscular build, it’s also her grittiest and least glamorous performance to date.
Martin, praising Sweeney, explained how her boxing persona 鈥 bombastic, egotistical 鈥 didn鈥檛 reflect her shyness or her desire to help others. Since her near-death experience, Martin has worked to help domestic violence survivors
鈥淚 have those two parts of my personality. And I think that鈥檚 why Sydney Sweeney is doing such an awesome job,鈥 said Martin. 鈥淪he got to be this totally different person that none of you expected. She wasn鈥檛 the beautiful, sexy Sydney. She was the tough, rugged Christy.鈥
Going into the premiere, Sweeney deflected questions about with the tagline 鈥淪ydney Sweeney has great jeans鈥 鈥 a pun on having 鈥済reat genes.鈥 Critics accused the ad for glorifying whiteness. The retailer has said the campaign 鈥渋s and always was about the jeans.鈥
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Ahead of the festival, she was going to TIFF to support her movie. 鈥淚鈥檓 not there to talk about jeans,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he movie鈥檚 about Christy and that鈥檚 what I鈥檒l be there to talk about.鈥
鈥淐hristy鈥 will be released in theaters Nov. 7 by its co-producer Black Bear in the company鈥檚 first foray into distribution. Sweeney also serves as a producer on 鈥淐hristy,鈥 with Martin a consultant.
Sweeney said she trained three times a day for two to three months to prepare for the boxing scenes. She had a boxing coach, a nutritionist and weight trainers. 鈥淎nd a lot of Chick-fil-A,鈥 she added. 鈥淎 lot of milkshakes, a lot of protein shakes.鈥
鈥淏ut it was incredible being able to completely embody such a powerful woman,鈥 said Sweeney. 鈥淚 felt even stronger.鈥
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