Copyright The Boston Globe
“Christy” also covers Martin’s struggles with her sexuality (in 2017, she would marry her former opponent Lisa Holewyne, played in the film by Katy O’Brian). “When I got done [reading the script], I was like, ‘I need to make sure that as many people as possible hear her story, and see what an incredibly inspiring and strong woman she is,’” Sweeney told the Globe in a recent Zoom interview. “Her story deserves to be told.” As the film prepares to hit theaters on Friday, Sweeney opened up about portraying the boxing pioneer and how her own combat sports experience helped prepare her for the role. How would you characterize Christy Martin’s impact on the world of boxing? Christy is the first professional female fighter on a title card fight. She was the trailblazer for female boxers and fighters. She changed the entire industry. She was a force. She came out and she was strong. She gave a show, and she wasn’t apologetic for who she was inside that ring, and I think that she carved a way for what we see today in the fighting world, especially with women, and she’s incredible. She was the first female fighter to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She was there to change an entire industry, and she didn’t even know it. How did your previous experience with mixed martial arts training prepare you for this role? Did it feel any different stepping into a boxing ring? So I started grappling and kickboxing when I was 12, and I did it until I was 19. I was at the dojo like three times a week, every single week, and everybody became my second family. I felt like I had 20 brothers, and I loved it. I basically lived there. It was very helpful in a mentality sense, and of course, also just knowing the foundational work of fighting and the logistics. But kickboxing and boxing are quite different. The stances are different, combinations are different, [you] can’t go to the ground. So it was kind of like retraining my brain, in a sense, of being able to take on Christy’s fights. Every single fight you see in the movie is [an] actual fight [from] Christy’s real life. Every combination I do is Christy’s actual combinations in those fights. Not only was I retraining my brain to be able to box, I also was teaching myself how to fight exactly like Christy, learning her exact combinations in each fight. Was there any aspect of her fighting style you found challenging to mimic? She didn’t keep her guard up as much as I do. I always was like, “Christy, you’re leaving yourself wide open.” Did you receive any boxing tips from the real Christy Martin during production? Oh, I got to spend so much time with her before, during, after. She’s kind of become my best friend. She always jokes, “You’ve got me for life.” And I’m like, “Good, because I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.” She was there fighting with me. We sparred a few times. [She would] help me with technique. When we were filming those scenes, she’d be cheering me on like it was a real fight and I always looked at her and [said], “Christy, you know how this is gonna go?” She was [like], “I don’t care. It feels real.” And the crew loves having her there too because, I mean, you’ve seen her story, it’s absolutely just heartbreaking, but incredible. And then seeing her walk on set, and the person who she is now, she’s so strong, she’s so friendly, and she’s such an advocate for other [survivors] of domestic violence, and it’s amazing just seeing who she is. She just overcame it all and came out just absolutely inspiring. I always say my mom was always my biggest role model, and she still is, but I think Christy is right up there with her. How was Ben Foster as a scene partner? Ben’s one of the most versatile, complex actors I’ve ever had the honor of working alongside. ... He would bring so many layers to a simple scene of us just sitting there and looking at each other, and so menacing and haunting. But in the beginning, you want to be friends with Jim. Everybody at the gym wanted to be friends with Jim. And [Ben] found all of these very complex layers. He’s absolutely brilliant. What message do you hope sticks with viewers after seeing “Christy”? I hope that it opens some doors for others that might feel like they don’t have the strength. We always said this on set, I was like, “I hope everyone can be Christy strong.” So I hope people walk away and they can be Christy strong. “Christy” opens in theaters on Friday. Interview was edited and condensed.
