There are probably plenty of reasons as to why Hilary Swank doesn’t fit the mold of the conventional celebrity babe, but considering the fact that she is one of the best dramatic actresses of her generation, we’re willing to let a few bad feelings slide. It’s not like she isn’t gorgeous either, because she is (especially that killer smile), but she has a tendency to appear a little below standards when portraying her complex characters on screen. Born in 1974 in a small town within the state of Washington, Hilary grew up spending a lot of her time exceeding at sports, including swimming in the Junior Olympics and placing fifth in her state’s annual gymnastics competition. Even though she was a pretty good athlete, Hilary’s strong aspirations to become an actress finally compelled her to move to L.A. at only sixteen-years-old.
In only two years time, Hilary was already receiving steady supporting cast work on feature films, and in 1994, she was finally given her big chance to shine in the “The Next Karate Kid.” While the film did reasonable at the box office, Hilary’s fifteen minutes of fame faded, and she quickly returned to a career filled with minor film roles and television guest spots. It took five years for Hilary to return to the limelight, but she came back with a bang when the independent feature “Boys Don’t Cry” hit the festival circuits, earning Hilary worldwide critical acclaim and a bookshelf of awards. Hilary continued to thrive on the big screen with roles opposite Hollywood heavyweights like Robin Williams and Al Pacino in “Insomnia,” and in late 2004, she repeated her critical success with the release of the soon-to-be Clint Eastwood classic, “Million Dollar Baby.” Hilary is the kind of actress that is already deriving comparisons to women like Meryl Streep, and there’s no doubt that she will continue to thrive, and perhaps surpass even Streep herself, as one of the best actresses in the industry.
Hilary on Video and on the Web
Sexy Hilary Swank
Cool video clip.
Interview with Hilary for “Million Dollar Baby”
Check out this video clip of her interview discussing the film.
Hilary on the Screen
Hilary made her film debut as one of the cheerleader friends in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” before getting her own starring role in “The Next Karate Kid.” Following her sudden exposure from the film, Hilary was quickly cast by Aaron Spelling in the high school soap opera “Beverly Hills, 90201,” but the young actress lasted only one year before getting the axe. After taking a number of years off to concentrate on her acting, Hilary finally resurfaced as the main character of the socially reforming and award-winning “Boys Don’t Cry.” Since then, Hilary has easily slid into the role of Hollywood starlet, appearing in many films including “The Core,” “Insomnia” and Clint Eastwood’s most recent masterpiece, “Million Dollar Baby.”
Hilary Says
On Hollywood:
“The truth is, after ‘Boys Don’t Cry,’ I realized how few and far between the great roles are. I am beyond thankful for finding ‘Million Dollar Baby’.”
On acting:
“I guess I’m just not in it for the celebrity of it. I’m in it because I love it.”
Quotes about Hillar Swank
“Hilary Swank owns two Academy Awards for Best Actress, both won for fearless, career-defining performances. She chose risk over comfort, depth over fame, and built a filmography that firmly places her among the greatest actresses in cinema history.” – Best Movie Moments