Hilary swank Biography

Hilary Swank

(Lincoln, Nebraska, 1974) American actress who has revealed herself, with a relatively short filmography, as one of the most solid professionals in Hollywood.Her athletic physique and her stern countenance have conditioned her roles, at least those that have so far brought her the most success: Hilary knows how to give credibility on the screen to ambitious women, with clear ideas and a strong fighting character.In his short career he has already won two Oscars, one in 2000 for Boys don't cry and another in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby , directed by veteran Clint Eastwood.

Hilary Swank

Hilary Ann Swank was born on July 30, 1974 in Lincoln, Nebraska.His father, who never had a steady job for too long, decided to take the family (consisting of his two children, Hilary and James, and his wife Judy, a secretary) to the state of Washington, specifically to Bellingham, very close to the border.with Canada.After practicing various trades, she decided to become a traveling salesman when Hilary was six years old, so the girl grew accustomed to seeing her father on rare occasions.

Before starting high school, Hilary practiced assiduously various sports, including gymnastics and swimming.In this last discipline he stood out enough to participate in the Junior Olympic Games.She also achieved a fifth place as a gymnast in a state championship.

However, despite this inveterate hobby, it did not take long for him to discover his true passion, acting, which he was initially only able to shape in the school environment.However, at the age of nine she was discovered by an artistic representative and producer named Suzy Sachs, who decided to take charge of her progress in this field and soon landed her the role of Mowgli in a production of The Jungle Book .From then on, his appearances in local theater performances were constant.

Hilary's school life in Bellingham was not exactly a bed of roses, mainly due to adjustment problems with her classmates.However, her stay there ended when her parents separated and the mother decided to take her daughter to Pasadena, California, to try to cope there with the constant financial anguish they suffered.

The beginnings did not they were easy.At first they had to sleep several nights in the car while Judy looked for work in coffee shops and gas stations.Thanks to the help of a friend, they found a roof.Hilary even got an agent to manage her career and she enrolled at South Pasadena High School.However, she soon had to quit to work, forcing her to finish her studies by correspondence.

After a brief appearance in Harry and the Hendersons the doors were opened to her of television, which allowed him to act in the popular series Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1992.This was a small boost for his promotion, since he was able to establish himself on the ABC network, thanks to which, On the other hand, she soon met the love of her life, Chad Lowe, brother of the famous actor Rob Lowe, at a party for the producer.Her wedding to Chad took place on September 28, 1997.

Film debut

Hilary's film debut was in 1994.It was in the movie The Next Karate Kid , the second part of the famous martial arts film Karate Kid.There is no doubt that the physical work of the actress was ideal in the castings, where she competed with hundreds of girls.

During the next five years she combined her participation in film productions with a low budget ( Pacto lethal , Heartwood ...) and teleseries.Within this field, it is worth highlighting her role as Carly Reynolds in the well-known series Sensacion de vivre between 1997 and 1998.

But without a doubt, her emergence would come in 1999, when the director Kimberly Peirce entrusted her with the role of Teena Brandon in the movie Boys don't cry .The film tells the true story of a young woman determined to be recognized as a man, because inside she feels like one.Peirce demanded that Hilary cut her hair to zero to make the role credible.In a demonstration of adaptability, he took for a whole month a "man's" life, posing as her husband's brother.

Hilary Swank in Boys don't cry (1999) and Milion Dolar Baby (2004)

It was really hard for Hilary, who even suffered a psychological crisis during work."On days off from filming, I would come home and wear skirts and make-up...but when I looked in the mirror, I only saw an androgynous being," she said.During those days, Chad's support was decisive.Fortunately, the result of so much effort on the screen was impressive and earned a well-deserved statuette for the best leading actress.The award surprised the specialized critics, since the emerging career of the actress barely had solid links to compete with the illustrious nominees of that year: Annette Bening, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore (the fifth candidate was the little known Janet McTeer).

Despite the recognition of his work, and leaving aside theater productions such as The Miracle Worker (2003), curiously he did not receive any attractive offer in a long time.So much so that he entered a stage of frustration that almost caused his early withdrawal from the big screen.His most outstanding cinematographic works between 2000 and 2003 were The Audition , Premonition , The mystery of the necklace , Insomnia and The core , generally action or adventure productions without excessive interest, nothing that would arouse much motivation in a woman with a fighting spirit.Of course, all these orders allowed her to buy with her husband a formidable four million dollar apartment in New York's Greenwich Village.

It would have been a real shame if an actress of her talent (and with an Oscar on her résumé) retired early.Fortunately, this did not happen thanks to the good memories for the actors of Clint Eastwood.The actor and director of Unforgiven remembered her when shooting Million Dollar Baby , and gave her a role that required both great physical shape and great communication skills.

Convinced that both qualities were abundantly present in the actress, he got in touch with her, not without explaining that to give a credible image of the protagonist-Maggie Fitzgerald, a waitress determined to To become a boxing champion using an experienced trainer, he had to put himself in the hands of specialists in this discipline and increase his muscle mass by ten kilos.

The physical conditioning work, coordinated by coach Héctor Roca, did not It was a bigger problem for Hilary, used to playing extreme sports with Chad.In this regard, he humorously declared: "For three months I lived, slept, ate and drank boxing.At night I would wake up punching the air or my husband.Fortunately, Chad has a great spirit as a sparring partner." On the other hand, the autobiographical points of contact between Maggie and Hilary undoubtedly contributed to her performance being quite extraordinary and making her one of the very few actresses who has two Oscars for best leading actress.

After obtaining the Oscar, she was hired as the image of the Calvin Klein lingerie line for press announcements and television spots, which would probably serve to blur the somewhat androgynous image that the general public continued to have of her.At the same time, he began shooting La Dalia Negra (adaptation of James Ellroy's crime novel) under the command of veteran director Brian de Palma.