Hilary was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Judith Kay . An aficionado for anything that involves the outdoors, she enjoys: sky diving, river rafting and skiing.
Named one of People magazines 50 Most Beautiful People in 2000, 2004 and 2005.
Cut off all of her hair and lived as a boy for a month to prepare her for her role as Brandon Teena in Boys Dont Cry .
She won the lead role of Brandon Teena in Boys Dont Cry after hundreds of other actresses had been considered and rejected over the course of three years. She 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 thats what Brandon would do.".
Has been acting professionally since she was age 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 her ex-husband Chad Lowe on set of Quiet Days in Hollywood , married after 5-month relationship.
Mother Judy Swank moved with her to Los Angeles at age 16, where, impoverished for a while, they lived out of their car.
Earned $75 a day for the drama movie Boys Dont Cry .
Auditioned for the role of Lucy Hatcher on the television series "The Practice" , which went to Marla Sokoloff.
Her maternal grandmother, Frances Martha Dominguez, was born in California, to a family of Mexican ancestry (with Spanish and Native American roots). Her other ancestry is English and German, with smaller amounts of Northern Irish (Scots-Irish), Swiss-German, Dutch, Scottish and Welsh. Her patrilineal line traces back to Balthasar Swank, who was born in Wuerttemberg, Germany, c. 1716. Her paternal grandmother was born in England.
Hilarys 20th birthday party was a 1974 themed party and was held in Hollywood at The Crush Bar.
(June 2002) She and husband moved into a 4-story brownstone home in Greenwich Village (New York City) they bought for $4 million.
Ex-sister-in-law of Rob Lowe and makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff.
Although she was naturally athletic from high school, she totally changed physically to play Maggie in Million Dollar Baby . She gained nearly 20 pounds, becoming so buff that her former clothes are still too small for her.
Attended Santa Monica College.
Is the first woman to receive an Academy Award in a role as a boxer.
Is the third youngest actress to receive two Best Actress Academy Awards. Luise Rainer and Jodie Foster were the first and second, respectively.
Joined Vivien Leigh , Helen Hayes and Luise Rainer as the only actresses with a perfect track record at the Oscars: Two nominations and two wins.
(January 15, 2005) Fined NZ$200 (AUD$190) for bringing undeclared fruit into New Zealand. She was found with an apple and orange at New Zealands Auckland International Airport. She has since contested the fine.
Grew up in Bellingham, Washington, where she went to Sehome High School.
Both of her Oscar-winning roles required huge physical changes.
Though shes known for her dramatic work, she starred in several sitcom pilots for CBS that never amounted to much.
Has two dogs: Karoo, a Corgi/Jack Russell mix, and Lucky, a German Shepherd/Labarador Retriever mix.
(January 2006) Announced that she and her husband Chad Lowe are separating after 8 years of marriage.
Her performance as Brandon Teena in Boys Dont Cry is ranked #83 on Premiere magazines 100 Greatest Performances of All Time .
Replaced Sandra Bullock as Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby after Bullock dropped out for other commitments.
Formerly a vegetarian.
Studies acting with Larry Moss.
(November 2006) Received a cut on the forehead during filming a scene of her movie P.S. I Love You . She had to be brought to a hospital and received several stitches.
(November 2006) Awarded an Emery Award for her role as Brandon Teena in Boys Dont Cry .
For a few weeks before Boys Dont Cry began filming, she went out in public dressed as a boy. Many were fooled by the disguise.
Was declared #6 on the show "Hollywoods Ten Best Beauty to Beast" transformations for the way she looked in Boys Dont Cry . Three other actresses on the list were nominated for Oscars for their movies and two won: Charlize Theron ( Monster ), Halle Berry ( Monsters Ball ) and Salma Hayek ( Frida ).
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 8, 2007.
Made her film debut in Buffy the Vampire Slayer .
Considers herself a spiritual person, although she isnt member of an organized religion.
Her longtime companion has been her agent, John Campisi , since December 2006.
Born to Stephen Swank, a Air National Guard officer, and his then wife Judy Swank , ne Clough, a secretary and dancer, she has a brother, Dan.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2008 Razzie Award nominating ballot. She was suggested in the Worst Actress category for her performances in the films P.S. I Love You and The Reaping . She failed to receive a nomination however.
As of 2013, she is only one of 6 actors who have a 2-0 winning record when nominated for an acting Oscar. The others are Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld and The Good Earth ; Vivien Leigh for Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire ; Helen Hayes for The Sin of Madelon Claudet and Airport ; Kevin Spacey for The Usual Suspects and American Beauty ; and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained .
Campaigned for the role of Christine Collins in Changeling , but lost the role to Angelina Jolie.
Attended South Pasadena High School in South Pasadena, California.
Each time Hilary Swank has won an Academy Award, Annette Bening was nominated in the same category.
Was considered for the role of Satine in Moulin Rouge! , but Nicole Kidman , who went on to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead.
Got the role of Madeline Linscott in the crime drama The Black Dahlia after Eva Green turned down.
Was originally cast as Rachel in Something Borrowed , but after dropping out of the project, Ginnifer Goodwin was cast instead.
Best friends with actress Mariska Hargitay.
(April 2004) Took boxing lessons at Gleasons Gym in New York City, in anticipation of her lead role as the female boxer in Clint Eastwood s film Million Dollar Baby (original title "Rope Burns"), which was scheduled to begin filming in Los Angeles, California in June 2004.
Was the 117th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for Boys Dont Cry at The 72nd Annual Academy Awards on March 26, 2000.
She was signed on for two years but was fired from "Beverly Hills, 90210" after only doing 16 episodes in 1998. She was later thankful because she was able to go for her role in Boys Dont Cry ; winning her first Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role just two years later.
Broke off her engagement to Rubn Torres in early June 2016.
Is one of 11 actresses who won the Best Actress Oscar for a move that also won the Best Picture Oscar (she won for Million Dollar Baby ). The others are Claudette Colbert for It Happened One Night , Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld , Vivien Leigh for Gone with the Wind , Greer Garson for Mrs. Miniver , Louise Fletcher for One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest , Diane Keaton for Annie Hall , Shirley MacLaine for Terms of Endearment , Jessica Tandy for Driving Miss Daisy , Jodie Foster for The Silence of the Lambs and Gwyneth Paltrow for Shakespeare in Love .
Announced her engagement to her boyfriend of 8 months Rubn Torres on March 21, 2016.
Co-starred with Aaron Eckhart twice: The Core and The Black Dahlia .
I just want every actor to know to keep chipping away at it.
I’m always scared to death that I won’t do a role justice. But fear can be a great motivator.
