Sydney Sweeney has refused to answer questions about her American Eagle ad campaign at her latest film premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The Emmy-nominated actor was standing alongside former boxer Christy Salters Martin, whom Sweeney plays in David Michôd's biopic Christy, when she was asked about the campaign that garnered the world's attention.

The 27-year-old swiftly sidestepped the questions, hurrying herself and Martin along the red carpet.

"I'm so excited for everybody to see Christy Martin," Sweeney said.

"I'm just excited for 'Christy'."

The American Eagle campaign with tagline "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," a pun on having "great genes", quickly drew ire and accusations of glorifying whiteness after it surfaced in late July. The retailer has said the campaign "is and always was about the jeans".

Sweeney was in Toronto for the Christy premiere, which received a rousing reception from the audience on Friday local time.

She transformed for the role into the female boxing trailblazer who emerged out of West Virginia as the "Coal Miner's Daughter" to rise to the top of her then-nascent sport.

"It was a dream come true, as an actor, as a person," 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's 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 "Christy," and particularly Sweeney, seemed sure to add her to the awards conversation.