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Hilary Swank Profile |
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Birth Date: July 30, 1974
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Birth Place: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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Birth Name: Hilary Ann Swank
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Height: 5'5"
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Biography |
Hilary Ann Swank was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on July 30,
1974. She grew up in Bellingham, Washington and as a child,
devoted much of her time to athletic pursuits. Swank swam in
the Junior Olympics and state championships, and ranked
fifth in her state for gymnastics. At the age of 16, Swank
moved to Los Angeles to realize her dream of becoming an
actress.
Her first notable screen credit was as the sidekick in the
feature film, Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1992. Two years
later, she earned a modicum of fame when she was chosen to
star in The Next Karate Kid, a critical and box-office
failure.
Swank subsequently appeared in a number of minor films and
gained recognition on Beverly Hills, 90210 for one season,
as Steve's (Ian Ziering) girlfriend Carly. In 1999, Swank
found a role that would change her life forever in the
independent drama, Boys Don't Cry. Based on the story of
Teena Brandon, a woman whose decision to lead her life as a
man met with dire consequences, Boys Don't Cry was a runaway
success.
Particular praise went to Swank for her stunning
performance, for which she won a Golden Globe and an Academy
Award for Best Actress. Subsequent projects included The
Gift (2000), The Affair of the Necklace (2001), the thriller
Insomnia (2002) with Al Pacino and Robin Williams, The Core
(2003), the made-for-TV movie Iron Jawed Angels (for which
she was nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe), and Red
Dust (2004).
In 2004, Hilary blew filmgoers away once again with her
portrayal of a champion boxer in Clint Eastwood's Million
Dollar Baby, for which she won the Oscar, SAG and Golden
Globe for Best Actress. In 2005, she will be seen in Brain
De Palma's adaptation of the James Ellroy novel, The Black
Dahlia.
Swank has been married to actor Chad Lowe since 1997. |
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Other
Information |
Named one of "People" magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in
2000, 2004 & 2005.
Cut off all of her hair and lived as a boy for a month to
prepare her for her role as Teena Brandon in Boys Don't Cry
(1999).
Sister-in-law of Rob Lowe.
She won the lead role of Brandon/Teena in Boys Don't Cry
(1999) after hundreds of other actresses had been considered
and rejected over the course of three years. Told director
Kimberly Peirce that, like her character, she was also 21
and hailed from Lincoln, Nebraska. But she was fibbing, and
when Peirce later confronted her with the lies, she
winningly responded: "But that's what Brandon would do."
Has been acting professionally since she was 16.
Has a parrot and a cat named Tallinn.
Competed in the Junior Olympics and Washington state
championships in swimming; ranked fifth in the state in
all-around gymnastics.
Discovered as a young child actor by producer Suzy Sachs.
Met husband Chad Lowe on set of Quiet Days in Hollywood
(1997), married after 5-month relationship.
Mother Judy Swank moved with her to LA area at age 16,
where, impoverished for a while, they lived out of their
car.
Earned $75 a day for Boys Don't Cry (1999).
Auditioned for the role of Lucy Hatcher on the television
series "The Practice" (1997).
Of Spanish and Native American heritage.
Hilary's 20th birthday party was a 1974 themed party and was
held in Hollywood at The Crush Bar.
She and husband moved into a 4-story brownstone home in
Greenwich Village (NYC) they bought for $4 million. (June,
2002)
Sister-in-law of makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff.
Although she was naturally athletic from high school, she
totally changed physically to play Maggie in Million Dollar
Baby (2004). She gained nearly 20 pounds, becoming so buff
that her former clothes are still too small for her.
Attended Santa Monica College.
First woman to win an Oscar in a role as a boxer
Is the third youngest actress to win 2 Best Actress Academy
Awards. Luise Rainer and Jodie Foster were the first and
second, respectively.
Joined Vivien Leigh, Helen Hayes, Sally Field and Luise
Rainer as the only actresses with a perfect track record at
the Oscars: Two nominations and two wins.
15th January 2005: Fined NZ$200 (AUD$190) for bringing
undeclared fruit into New Zealand. She was found with an
apple and orange at New Zealand's Auckland International
Airport. She has since contested the fine.
Grew up in Bellingham, Washington
Both of her Oscar-winning roles required huge physical
changes
Though she's known for her dramatic work, she starred in
several sitcom pilots for CBS that never amounted to much.
Has 2 dogs: Karoo, a Corgi/Jack Russell mix, and Lucky, a
German Shepherd/Labarador Retriever mix.
Announced in January 2006 that she and husband Chad Lowe are
separating after 8 years of marriage.
Her performance as Brandon Teena in "Boys Don't Cry" (1999)
is ranked #83 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest
Performances of All Time (2006). |
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