Casting directors Ellen Lewis and Kate Sprance teamed up for the first time with Australian director David Michôd (The King, War Machine) on the biographical sports drama Christy. The film stars Sydney Sweeney as former professional boxer Christy Martin, charting her rise as a female boxing pioneer in the 1990s, and the harrowing events surrounding her coach-turned-husband James V. Martin’s attempt to murder her in 2010.
Sweeney was the already attached star, undergoing a significant physical transformation for the role, including gaining over 30 pounds and committing to both boxing and weightlifting training. Lewis and Sprance spoke with Casting Networks about how they assembled the rest of the ensemble around such an intense central performance.
Key Insights
- Lewis and Sprance approached Christy by prioritizing authenticity and emotional essence over physical resemblance to real-life figures.
- Their casting process centered on deep knowledge of actors’ bodies of work, instinctual fit, and collaboration across teams in Atlanta and production.
- The film’s ensemble came together through a mix of longtime admiration, new discoveries, and intensive searches—especially for athletic roles requiring elite boxing skills.
What made this project an exciting opportunity for you both?
Sprance: It’s an impactful story — what Christy did and how she survived. She’s an amazing, strong woman. It’s an important story for people to see. If it helps one other woman who’s in a similar domestic relationship get the courage to make a change, it’s a huge thing. We’re really grateful to have been a part of telling Christy’s story to a bigger audience.
Lewis: It’s an amazing story, and it says a lot that Sydney Sweeney wanted to make this movie, and undergo the transformation that she did.
Once Sydney Sweeney was in place, how did you approach building the rest of the cast around her?
Lewis: We had watched the 2021 documentary Untold: Deal with the Devil, which was amazing, but very disturbing. It helped us understand the world and the real people in Christy’s life. But we were not at all looking for lookalikes. That’s not how we cast. Casting Jim [Christy’s husband] was next. We made a list, but we didn’t put out a breakdown or do a big search.
Sprance: It was more about finding the essence of this very complicated man who seemingly cared about her in his own way, but also controlled her and tried to end her life.
And that essence ultimately led you to Ben Foster. How did he land the role?
Lewis: I’ve known Ben for many years and I’ve always admired his work. I’ve brought him up for different things, and you never know when it will be the right fit. It’s so great when you get to cast someone you think so highly of, that you’ve known for many years, and the director is completely in sync with that choice.
For the role of Christy’s judgmental, conservative mother, Joyce, what guided your decision-making?
Lewis: Right away I thought of Merritt Wever, who I feel is one of our greatest actresses. I’ve cast her before, but I felt she had never played a role like this. It’s important to keep an open mind as you start each project. I’ve seen Merritt in so many things over the years and knew she could do this. We read other people for the role and there were actresses who gave wonderful readings, but Merritt really felt right.
How do you know instinctively that someone is right for a role?
Sprance: As casting directors, our job is knowing an actor’s body of work. It’s seeing the different levels they’ve brought to other roles and knowing they could bring that to what we’re trying to cast. Merritt is such a great actress, and even though there are levels she hasn’t showcased yet, we knew she could pull this off and bring this very cold woman to the surface.
You also worked closely with a casting team in Atlanta, where the film shot. How did that collaboration shape the cast?
Lewis: Yes — Amanda Lenker Doyle and Erica Bream. We were working hand-in-hand with them on several roles. Through them, we saw Ethan Embry for the role of Johnny Salters, Christy’s dad.
Ethan Embry being based in Atlanta certainly seems like it helped. How did he rise to become first choice?
Sprance: Yes, he’s down there now, so he was someone they brought up. He did a really great reading, and it just felt right. A lot of people can do a great reading, but it’s about who feels like they belong in the world we’re building. It’s kind of an intrinsic thing.
Were there any roles that proved especially challenging to cast?
Lewis: Boxer Laila Ali was a challenging role.
Sprance: The boxing requirement was very specific. Christy boxed professional and non-professional fighters. We saw people, our Atlanta team saw people, the stunt coordinator brought up names, Christy herself brought up people. We were calling gyms and researching boxers. It was all hands to find the right person. [The role ultimately went to USA Boxing Olympian Naomi Graham.]
Lewis: I will say the one person that David knew he wanted was [actor and martial artist] Katy O’Brian. He had seen her work previously, and he knew that he wanted her [for the role of professional boxer Lisa Holewyne]. It was tricky because she was working.
How did you navigate scheduling challenges when talent is also working on something else?
Lewis: Our job with production is very detail-oriented. We’re in touch with the line producer and ADs about the film schedule. Then it becomes, “Are these dates going to work? Is the actor actually available? Can we shift anything? Is there any flexibility on either side?”
Sprance: It’s constant communication on both sides.
Was there a casting discovery on this project that you felt particularly proud of?
Lewis: Every movie or TV show is a world of discoveries. You start with lists of actors you know, but it’s important to stay open to who might fit the world of that specific project. A wonderful example here was casting Chad Coleman to play Don King. We’ve known Chad for years, and he came in and did a wonderful reading.
What do you think actors often misunderstand about the casting process?
Lewis: I don’t know if actors realize that we are fans of theirs and that we are rooting for them. We don’t know when the right project is going to come along that allows us to finally cast them. This film is an example of how thrilled we were to cast Ben Foster in this very difficult role.
Why do you think actors might feel the opposite — that casting is working against them?
Lewis: Because there’s so much rejection involved in being an actor. Only one person gets the part. Even when we communicate how supportive we are, it can still sometimes feel for them like we’re on opposite sides. But when an actor truly understands the casting process, they know we’re rooting for them.
Achievement in Casting is a new Oscar category that will be presented for the first time at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026, honoring films released in 2025. The Critics Choice Awards also added a casting category for its 2026 awards. What does that recognition mean to you?
Lewis: When I think about the amazing casting directors who came before me — Marion Dougherty, Juliet Taylor, Wallis Nicita, Gretchen Rennell, Howard Feuer — I am part of a lineage. Casting directors are among the first people on a project. It’s strange that it has taken this long for our community and our craft to be recognized, because every other craft is doing what we’re doing: working in collaboration with the director to help fulfill their vision.
Casting is like assembling a thousand-piece puzzle.
Lewis: Exactly — hoping that they all fit as a whole. We start at the top and build downward. Each person is connected, never isolated. It’s all part of serving the director’s vision. The first thing everybody notices [when watching the screen] is the actors. We are grateful our contribution is finally being acknowledged.
Key Takeaways
- Building the cast around Sydney Sweeney’s intense transformation required balancing availability, world-building, and character complexity.
- Casting directors play an advocacy role for actors, rooting for them despite the inherent rejection embedded in the process.
- With new Oscar and Critics Choice casting awards emerging, the craft is finally gaining long-overdue recognition for shaping a film’s emotional and narrative impact.
