Sydney Sweeney May Win Her First Oscar Before Zendaya or Timothée Chalamet

Sydney Sweeney stuns at TIFF with her transformative performance in Christy, earning rave reviews and sparking major Oscar buzz at just 27.

sydney sweeney may get oscar before zendaya or timothée chalametLeft Image Via HBO, Middle Image Via Columbia Pictures, Right Image Via A24

Through the difficult roles portrayed by Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet, the young actors are expected to earn their first Oscar trophies sooner or later, but it looks like Sydney Sweeney might strike gold before them.

Sweeney’s upcoming boxing biopic, Christy, recently had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Early reviews have come in, praising both the film and Sweeney’s performance as boxer Christ Martin.

Not only are critics raving about Sweeney’s intense transformation and her performance in the film, but they are also convinced that Christy will be the actress’ stepping stone to the Academy Awards.

Variety’s Clayton Davis says:

Check out what critics are saying about Sweeney and what might be her best performance yet:

Sydney Sweeney and Oscar are two words we didn’t think we’d see in a sentence for a long, long time.

However, with her role in and as Christy, it’s possible that the actress will prove everyone who doubted her wrong.

Christy’s Reception Makes Sydney Sweeney Break Down in Tears

Sydney Sweeney with boxer Christy MartinSydney Sweeney and Christy Martin | Credits: @christy_r_martin / Instagram

Christy‘s world premiere at TIFF ended with a warm reception from those in the crowd.

As the credits rolled, the audience stood on its feet and proceeded to deliver a thunderous applause for the David Michôd-directed sports biopic.

Afterwards, Sweeney stepped onstage with the filmmakers, as well as Marting and her wife, Lisa Holewyne.

The actress broke down in tears as she spoke and eventually turned to Martin, saying, “Christy, you are absolutely incredible and I’m so honored – I’m gonna cry, oh my God – you’re so inspirational…“

Sydney Sweeney gets emotional talking about her experience filming #Christy along side the real Christy Martin.

It’s clear this movie means the world to her, both in her performance on screen and her emotions on stage at the Q&A.

#TIFF50 pic.twitter.com/07Lu6IgUIh

— Lauren @TIFF 🎥 (@flickchickdc) September 5, 2025

After projects like Euphoria, Anyone But You, and Madame Web, Sweeney has proved that she’s more than just a pretty face.

Generating Oscar buzz at the age of 27, especially when no one expected her to, is a feat in itself.

A role like this one has been long overdue.

Sydney Sweeney’s Transformation for Christy

Sydney Sweeney's Christy transformation

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Sydney Sweeney in Christy | @sydney_sweeney

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Sydney Sweeney's Christy transformation

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Christy Martin | @christy_r_martin

You can tell by now that Christy is unlike anything Sweeney has done before, and she is calling it “one of the most amazing, fun experiences” of her career so far.

Talking to E! News at TIFF, the actress said,

I was a very happy person, and I became so strong.

I felt so good.

I mean, I just felt Christy’s power.

Talking about her transformation, Sweeney admitted that it was both “fun and exciting“.

Earlier this year, she got candid with W Magazine about the process of turning into Martin, and revealed that she only had three-and-a-half months to train.

Sweeney added, “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.” As she got “crazy strong” with time, she stopped fitting into her clothes, something she believes was worth it.

Anyone who is aware of Martin’s life story knows that outside the ring, the boxer fought many personal battles as well.

Thus, Sweeney’s transformation was not just physical, but mental and emotional as well.

Martin couldn’t be happier with what Sweeney delivered.

At TIFF (via USA Today), she admitted, “Christy Martin the boxer was really just a persona – very bombastic, very egotistical – but that’s not really who I am.” She added that in real life, she is a shy, helpful, and reserved person who wants to knock people out from time to time.

As per Martin, Sweeney did an “awesome job” portraying both sides of her personality.

Are you excited to see what the hype is all about? Let us know your thoughts about the film and the Oscar buzz surrounding it down below.

Christy will be released in theaters on November 07.