share:
TCM Archive Materials VIEW ALL ARCHIVES (0)
Recent DVDs
Also Known As: | Hilary Ann Swank | Died: | |
Born: | July 30, 1974 | Cause of Death: | |
Birth Place: | Lincoln, Nebraska, USA | Profession: | actor |
Biography CLOSE THE FULL BIOGRAPHY
Actress Hilary Swank had her major breakthrough when she earned the Academy Award for her gripping performance in the indie darling "Boys Don't Cry" (1999). Swank followed this with quality turns in Sam Raimi's supernatural thriller "The Gift" (2000), the period romantic drama "The Affair of the Necklace" (2001) and Christopher Nolan's excellent crime thriller "Insomnia" (2002). She went on to find her star-making niche playing steely women who succeeded against the odds, best exemplified by her performance as a female boxer who meets a tragic end in Clint Eastwood's moody drama "Million Dollar Baby" (2004), a role that earned her a second Oscar. From there, she etched powerful performances as real-life women such as American suffragist Alice Paul in "Iron Jawed Angels" (HBO, 2004), unorthodox teacher Erin Gruwell in "Freedom Writers" (2007) and groundbreaking aviatrix Amelia Earhart in "Amelia" (2009). Swank proved herself one of Hollywood's more versatile actresses, one who drew upon her working-class roots to deliver one informed performance after another. She continued working steadily, starring in Tony Goldwyn's legal drama "Conviction" (2010) and British thriller "The Resident" (2011) and...
Actress Hilary Swank had her major breakthrough when she earned the Academy Award for her gripping performance in the indie darling "Boys Don't Cry" (1999). Swank followed this with quality turns in Sam Raimi's supernatural thriller "The Gift" (2000), the period romantic drama "The Affair of the Necklace" (2001) and Christopher Nolan's excellent crime thriller "Insomnia" (2002). She went on to find her star-making niche playing steely women who succeeded against the odds, best exemplified by her performance as a female boxer who meets a tragic end in Clint Eastwood's moody drama "Million Dollar Baby" (2004), a role that earned her a second Oscar. From there, she etched powerful performances as real-life women such as American suffragist Alice Paul in "Iron Jawed Angels" (HBO, 2004), unorthodox teacher Erin Gruwell in "Freedom Writers" (2007) and groundbreaking aviatrix Amelia Earhart in "Amelia" (2009). Swank proved herself one of Hollywood's more versatile actresses, one who drew upon her working-class roots to deliver one informed performance after another. She continued working steadily, starring in Tony Goldwyn's legal drama "Conviction" (2010) and British thriller "The Resident" (2011) and appearing in Garry Marshall's ensemble romantic comedy "New Year's Eve" (2011). After co-starring opposite writer- director Tommy Lee Jones in period western "The Homesman" (2014), Swank moved into producing with the drama "You're Not You" (2014) and returned to television opposite Brenda Blethyn in Richard Curtis' biographical drama "Mary and Martha" (BBC 2013). After her first voice role in 3D fantasy "Spark" (2016), Swank co-starred in Steven Soderbergh's comedy "Logan Lucky" (2017) and indie dramas "55 Steps" (2017) and "What They Had" (2018). Swank's first TV series since "Beverly Hills 90201," "Trust" (FX 2018) was a limited series about the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty.
Filmographyclose complete filmography
CAST: (feature film)
Milestones close milestones
Education
Notes
When asked if she had ever done martial arts before "The Next Karate Kid": "No, never. I had flexibility in gymnastics, and I took instruction and worked hard, hours and hours a day. I wanted to do all my stunts." And did she? "Oh, God, I've got plenty of bruises. Yes!"---Hilary Swank in Parade Magazine, August 7, 1994.
"It took about four weeks for me to detox from masculinity... I felt like I had lost every ounce of my femininity and I honestly didn't know if I'd ever get it back."---Swank on playing Brandon in "Boy's Don't Cry", quoted in Talk, October 1999.
"I figured out why it was so easy. I had so much fear and anxiety about it, but when we did it, it was so professional, it didn't live up to my fear. It was just make-believe."---Hilary Swank, on the brutal rape scene in "Boy's Don't Cry", to Stacy D'Erasmo of Out, October 1999.
"I hope ['Boys Don't Cry'] can help people be inspired to be themselves and to live their dream. And live every single moment fully."---Hilary Swank quoted in USA Today, October 21, 1999.
Swank was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People for 2004
"The second after I won the Academy Award [for 1999's Boys Don't Cry], I felt inhibited, like I was being watched under a microscope, she says. "People weren't necessarily putting that on me so much as I was putting that on myself. It took a while before I could relax and enjoy acting again."---Swank quoted in Premiere, December 2004/January 2005.
Companions close complete companion listing
Family close complete family listing
Please support TCMDB by adding to this information.
Click here to contribute