Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. Swank first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series Camp Wilder and made her film debut with a minor role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). She then had her breakthrough for starring as Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid (1994), the fourth installment of The Karate Kid franchise, and as Carly Reynolds on the eighth season of Beverly Hills, 90210 (1997–1998).
This article is about the American actress. For the Joey Badass song, see Hilary $wank.
Hilary Swank
- Actress
- film producer
1991–present
2
Swank came to international recognition for her performances as Brandon Teena, in Kimberly Peirce's Boys Don't Cry (1999), and as Maggie Fitzgerald, an aspiring boxer, in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby (2004). Both performances earned her widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards for Best Actress. She was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005.
Swank later ventured into producing with the films Amelia (2009), Conviction (2010), You're Not You (2014), and What They Had (2018), in all of which she also starred. Her other notable films include the television film Iron Jawed Angels (2004) and the feature films The Black Dahlia (2006), Freedom Writers (2007), The Resident (2011), The Homesman (2014), Logan Lucky (2017), The Hunt (2020), and Fatale (2020). In 2022, she starred in the television drama series Alaska Daily.
Early life[edit]
Swank was born on July 30, 1974, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her mother, Judy Kay (née Clough),[1] was a secretary and dancer, and her father, Stephen Michael Swank, was a Chief Master Sergeant in the Oregon Air National Guard and later a traveling salesman. Many of Swank's family members are from Ringgold County, Iowa.[2] Her maternal grandmother, Frances Martha Clough (née Dominguez), was born in El Centro, California, and was of Mexican descent.[3][4][5] Swank's paternal grandmother was born in England; her other ancestry includes Dutch, German, Ulster-Scots, Scottish, Swiss, and Welsh.[3] The surname "Swank", originally "Schwenk", is of German origin.[6]
After living in Spokane, Washington, Swank's family moved into a home near Lake Samish in Bellingham, Washington, when Swank was six.[7] She attended Happy Valley Elementary School, Fairhaven Middle School, then Sehome High School in Bellingham until she was 16.[3][8] She competed in the Junior Olympics, the Washington state championships in swimming, and ranked fifth in the state in all-around gymnastics.[9] Swank made her first appearance on stage when she was nine years old, starring in The Jungle Book.[8]
When Swank was 15, her parents separated, and her mother, supportive of her daughter's desire to act, moved with her to Los Angeles, where they lived in their car until her mother saved enough money to rent an apartment.[7] Swank has called her mother the inspiration for her acting career and her life.[10] In California, Swank enrolled in South Pasadena High School, later dropping out.[11] She described her time at that school: "I felt like such an outsider. I didn't feel like I fit in. I didn't belong in any way. I didn't even feel like the teachers wanted me there. I just felt like I wasn't seen or understood."[7] She explained that she became an actor because she felt like an outsider, "As a kid I felt that I belonged only when I read a book or saw a movie, and could get involved with a character. It was natural that I became an actor because I longed so much to be those other people, or at least to play them."[12]
Other ventures[edit]
Clothing line[edit]
On October 18, 2016, Swank announced that she is launching a luxury clothing line, Mission Statement.[43][44][45] The collection includes jackets, tops, dresses, bottoms, sports bras and sweaters that are made of eco-friendly technical fabrics, priced from $125 to $1,150.[43][46] Swank aimed to create clothing that is eco-conscious and devoid of large logos, saying in an interview with DuJour that "we believe in promoting the women wearing the clothes and not the brand itself, which is why there is no external branding."[47] The brand works with suppliers that follow strict environmental policies and sustainable production practices.[47]