Name: Hilary Swank
Birth Name: Hilary Ann Swank
Birthdate: July 30, 1974
Birthplace: Lincoln, Neb.
1-MINUTE RESUME FOR HILARY SWANK
Swank began pounding the pavement for screen roles at 16, but it wasn't until her starring role in The Next Karate Kid (1994) that Hollywood started to take notice. Bit parts in film (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and TV (Beverly Hills 90210) kept her busy until a tiny little independent film came along and changed her life forever. Hilary fought hard for the lead role as transgendered teen Brandon Teena in 1999's Boy's Don't Cry, which paid off with an Oscar for Best Actress. She went on to make period pieces (Affair of the Necklace), psychological thrillers (Insomnia) and big-budget adventure flicks (The Core), but her films didn't create much of a stir until she played another underdog in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby (2004). The role garnered her a second Best-Actress Oscar win, making her one of the youngest actors ever to claim that honor.
5 Things:
1. Swank is the third youngest woman in history to win two Academy Awards for Best Actress.
2. An aficionado for anything that involves the outdoors, she enjoys sky diving, river rafting, and skiing. As a young girl, competed in the Junior Olympics for swimming and gymnastics.
3. She cut off all of her hair and lived as a boy for a month to prepare her for her role in Boys Don't Cry.
4. When Hilary first moved to L.A. to pursue acting, she and her mother lived out of their car.
5. She is of Spanish and Native-American heritage.
Quote:
On her no-frills lifestyle: "I cut coupons, love specials and believe in buying toilet paper and toothpaste in bulk. It's just who I am."
— Woman's World, July 19, 2005
Family:
Husband: Chad Lowe, actor; married Sept. 28, 1997; filed for divorce Jan., 2006.
Awards:
2005: Academy Award: Best Actress, Million Dollar Baby; Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama), Million Dollar Baby; Golden Globe nomination: Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television, Iron Jawed Angels
2000: Academy Award: Best Actress, Boys Don't Cry; Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama), Boys Don't Cry.
FILMS
Freedom Writers - (2007) - Actor
The Reaping - (2007) - Actor
P.S. I Love You - (2007) - Actor
The Black Dahlia - (2006) - Actor
Iron Jawed Angels - (2004) - Actor
Million Dollar Baby - (2004)  - Actor
11:14 - (2003) - Actor
The Core - (2003) - Actor
Insomnia - (2002) - Actor
The Gift - (2001) - Actor
The Affair of the Necklace - (2001) - Actor
Boys Don't Cry - (1999) - Actor
Heartwood - (1998) - Actor
Kounterfeit - (1997) - Actor
Dying to Belong - (1997) - Actor
Sometimes They Come Back Again - (1996) - Actor
Terror in the Family - (1996) - Actor
Quiet Days in Hollywood - (1995) - Actor
The Next Karate Kid - (1994) - Actor
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - (1992) - Actor |
