In a way, Sydney Sweeney began prepping to play pioneering pro boxer Christy Martin before she’d ever ever appeared on-screen. The superstar actress recently made her W magazine cover debut for the publication’s “Special Summer Issue” in a Miu Miu dress and a sash embroidered with the words “GOLDEN GIRL”—other photos featured in the mag see Sweeney channel a flower child, Little Red Riding Hood, and a particularly racy “roller derby queen.”
The playful shoot is accompanied by a lighthearted interview in which the 27-year-old thespian reflects on her already-prolific career. So far, she’s best-know for her portrayal of Cassie in Euphoria (look out for a particularly “unhinged” version of the character in Season 3), but she’s also played several marquis roles in The White Lotus Season 1, the 2025 thriller Echo Valley and the 2023 romcom Anyone But You.
But Sweeney’s casting as Martin, the first woman fighter to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, seems almost meant to be, given her ultra-athletic and active background, which includes serious time in martial arts dojos.
“My mom told me from a very young age to fall in love with as many things as possible,” she told W . “And so I did fall in love, again and again: I love sports. I love being outside. I was on the ski team, and I wakeboarded. I slalom ski on water. I was on the soccer team and the softball team. And then my parents got me into grappling, which is like wrestling, and kickboxing. I was the only girl at the dojo. I trained there from 13 until about 19. I fought all guys. I liked to think that if shit went down, I might be able to step up.”
“Sydney trained her butt off to play the part,” added David Michod, the director and cowriter of the film. “The beauty of Sydney is that she turned up to work every day with her tail wagging, ready to go. No matter how tough it was, she was like a ray of sunshine.”
The typically lean-and-mean Sweeney also revealed that she attacked an intense training and diet regimen, ultimately packing 30 pounds on to her tiny frame.
“I came onboard to play Christy, and I had about three and a half months of training. I started eating. I weight-trained in the morning for an hour, kickboxed midday for about two hours, and then weight-trained again at night for an hour,” Sweeney said. “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. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge. It was crazy! I was like, Oh my god. But it was amazing: I was so strong, like crazy strong.”
Though title and release date haven’t been announced, the upcoming Sweeney-led boxing biopic is expected to arrive in 2025, as filming wrapped in November 2024. In the meantime, revisit the trailer above for Netflix Untold’s riveting Christy Martin documentary, Deal With The Devil.