Hilary Swank - The two time Oscar winner

Hilary Swank - The two time Oscar winner

Biography for Hilary Swank 

Date of Birth: 30 July 1974,Bellingham, Washington, USA 
Birth Name: Hilary Ann Swank 
Height: 5' 6" (1.68 m) 

Mini Biography

Hilary Swank was discovered as a child by producer Suzy Sachs, who coached her in acting. When she was nine years old, she starred in her first play as "Mowgli" in "The Jungle Book". She began to appear regularly in local theater and school plays. She went to school in Bellingham, where she lived with her family, until she was 16. She competed in the Junior Olympics and Washington State championships in swimming; she ranked 5th in the state in all-around gymnastics. In 1990, Hilary and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled in South Pasadena High School, and started acting professionally. She appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) but The Next Karate Kid (1994). She won the Best Actress Oscar for Boys Don't Cry (1999). She starred in a few minor films before starring in Clint Eastwood's boxing drama Million Dollar Baby (2004) that won her a Golden Globe and a SAG Award, as well as her second Academy Award. She is two for two at the Oscars, a feat she shares only with a few other women. Off-screen, she married Chad Lowe on September 28, 1997. An aficionado for anything that involves the outdoors, she enjoys: sky diving, river rafting and skiing.
 

Mini Biography

Hilary Swank is the third youngest woman in history to win two Academy Awards for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role".

In addition to the Oscar for her performance as "Brandon Teena" in Boys Don't Cry (1999), Hilary won the Golden Globe Award for "Best Actress in a Drama" and "Best Actress" prizes from The New York Film Critics, The Los Angeles Film Critics, The Chicago Film Critics and The Broadcast Film Critics Association. She also won the "Breakthrough Performance" prize from The National Board of Review.

Hilary then appeared in supporting roles opposite Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves in Sam Raimi's The Gift (2000) and opposite Al Pacino and Robin Williams in Christopher Nolan's Insomnia (2002/I). Hilary then starred as "Alice Paul" in HBO's Iron Jawed Angels (2004) (TV).

In 2004, Hilary starred opposite Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman as the title character in Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby (2004). She was honored with her second Academy Award for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role" and has garnered "Best Actress" prizes from the National Society of Film Critics, the Screen Actors Guild, The Broadcast Film Critics, and a Golden Globe for "Best Lead Actress in a Drama".

She was last seen in a supporting role opposite Scarlett Johansson and Josh Hartnett in Brian De Palma's The Black Dahlia (2006) and will next be seen starring in The Reaping (2007) for Warner Brothers. Hilary wrapped production on Freedom Writers (2007), the true story of Long Beach schoolteacher, Erin Gruwell. This fall, she will reunite with her Freedom Writers (2007) writer/director, Richard LaGravenese, to star in the film adaptation of Cecelia Ahern's novel, _P.S., I Love You (2008)_.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Manager/Publicist 

Trivia

Hilary was named one of "People" magazine's 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 Teena Brandon in Boys Don't Cry (1999).

Hilary Swank won the leading 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. 

Hilary has been acting professionally since she was 16.

Hilary has a parrot and a cat named Tallinn.

Hilary Competed in the Junior Olympics and Washington state championships in swimming, she was ranked fifth in the state in all-around gymnastics.

Mother Judy Swank moved with her to LA area at age 16, where, impoverished for a while, they lived out of their car.

Hilary is of Spanish and Native American heritage.

Although she was naturally athletic from high school, she totally changed physically to play Maggie in Million Dollar Baby (2004). 

Hilary is the third youngest actress to win 2 Best Actress Academy Awards. Luise Rainer and Jodie Foster were the first and second, respectively.

Hilary has 2 dogs: Karoo, a Corgi/Jack Russell mix, and Lucky, a German Shepherd/Labarador Retriever mix.

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).

Replaced Sandra Bullock as "Maggie Fitzgerald" in Million Dollar Baby (2004) after Bullock dropped out for other commitments.

Hilary is a vegetarian.

Awarded an Emery Award for her role in Boys Don't Cry (1999) (November 2006).

Hilary was declared #6 on the show "Hollywood's Ten Best Beauty to Beast" transformations for the way she looked in Boys Don't Cry (1999). Three other actresses on the list were nominated for Oscars for their movies and two won: Charlize Theron (Monster (2003)), Halle Berry (Monster's Ball (2001)) and Salma Hayek (Frida (2002)).

Received the 2,325th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (8 January 2007).

Made her film debut in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992).

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 (2007) and The Reaping (2007). She failed to receive a nomination however.

As of 2008, she is only one of six actors who have a 2-0 winning record when nominated for an acting Oscar. The others are Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Good Earth (1937); Vivien Leigh for Gone with the Wind (1939) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951); Helen Hayes for The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) and Airport (1970); Sally Field for Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984); and Kevin Spacey for The Usual Suspects (1994) and American Beauty (1999).



Two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank may shoot portions of upcoming film "Betty Anne"