Hilary Swank's Biography

Hilary Swank grew up in a trailer park in Bellingham, Washington. She performed in school plays and swam competitively. However, it was acting that Hilary Swank wanted to pursue and her mother proved a great supporter.

When Hilary Swank was still under 16, she and her mother headed for Hollywood.

In a 60 minutes interview with Hilary Swank, the actress said:

"She [Swank's mother] was at a crossroads. My father and her were getting separated, and she said, 'Let's go to California'. And so $75, and a Mobil card, we drove down to California."

The move worked out. Hilary Swank got parts in the likes of the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie, and The Next Karate Kid. She also played a single mother on Beverly Hills 90210.

However, it was for her role in the independent hit Boys Don't Cry, that Hilary Swank first drew widespread critical acclaim, culminating in the Best Actress Oscar.

Hilary Swank, who would later deliberately put on weight for her role in Million Dollar Baby, this time went about losing body fat in order to emphasise her masculine elements. She cut off her hair and trained for two hours a day lifting weights.

Swank's other films include The Gift, The Affair of The Necklace and Insomnia, but it was with Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby that she again received popular and critical praise, winning her second Oscar for best actress.

Once more she was thorough in her physical preparation for the role, training at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, six days a week for three months.

When she's not working Hilary Swank enjoys inviting friends over to play Scrabble and Celebrity. She also enjoys going to the movies.

Hilary Swank married actor Chad Lowe (brother of Rob Lowe) on September 28, 1997, however in January 2006 they announced that they were splitting up.

In 2008, Hilary Swank had surgery to remove a small benign growth. Her manager said that "her condition has been resolved and there are no continuing health issues."

Swank's next movie would be Amelia, based on the life of Amelia Earhart.

In 2011 she starred as Betty Anne Waters, who aims to establish the innocence of her brother, in the film Conviction.

In 2014, she starred in The Homesman.

In 2020 Hilary Swank played Commander Emma Green in the Netflix series Away.

In 2022, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama series for Alaska Daily.