By Sara Bright
Hilary Swank is one of the most acclaimed and versatile actresses in Hollywood, with two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe to her name. She has starred in a range of films, from dramas like “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby” to thrillers like “The Gift” and “Fatale”. She has also ventured into television, with roles in “Beverly Hills, 90210”, “Trust”, and “Ordinary Angels”.
But before she achieved fame and fortune, Swank had a humble and challenging start in life. She and her mother Judy lived on the streets of Los Angeles in their car, before they got their big break. This is the story of how Swank overcame adversity and pursued her dream of becoming an actress.
How Swank and Her Mother Moved to Los Angeles
Swank was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1974, to Stephen and Judy Swank, who were both in the Air National Guard. She grew up in Bellingham, Washington, where she attended Sehome High School. She was interested in acting from an early age, and participated in school plays and local theatre productions. She also excelled in sports, especially swimming and gymnastics.
When Swank was 15, her parents separated, and her mother decided to move to Los Angeles with her, to support her acting career. They sold everything they owned, and drove to California in their Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. They had no money, no contacts, and no place to stay. They slept in their car, parked on quiet residential streets, or in the house of a friend who was trying to sell it. They also used public facilities, such as showers and restrooms, at the local YMCA.
How Swank and Her Mother Struggled to Make Ends Meet
Swank and her mother faced many difficulties and hardships in Los Angeles. They had to deal with poverty, insecurity, and loneliness. They also had to cope with rejection, discrimination, and exploitation. Swank recalled in an interview with The Wall Street Journal1:
“We had a friend who was selling their house and, in the meantime, they were showing it. So we would house-sit, but we could only house-sit when the house was being shown. So we would have to leave during the day and come back at night. But there was a small window where we could go and take a shower, look in the mirror and feel human.”
Swank’s mother eventually found a job as a secretary, and they rented a room from a single mother in Burbank. Swank enrolled in South Pasadena High School, where she continued to act in school plays. She also got an agent, and started to audition for various roles. She landed some minor parts in TV shows and movies, such as “Growing Pains”, “Evening Shade”, and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. She also dropped out of school, and earned her GED through correspondence courses.
How Swank and Her Mother Achieved Their Hollywood Dream
Swank and her mother persevered and worked hard to achieve their Hollywood dream. They never gave up, and never lost hope. They also supported and encouraged each other, and shared a strong bond. Swank said in an interview with People2:
“My mom gave up her life for me. We were so poor. She gave me the only bit of her life that she could give up, which was her happiness. She was my date to the Oscars. She was my date to everything. She was not only my mom. She was my friend. She was my confidante. She was everything to me.”
Swank’s breakthrough came in 1999, when she was cast as Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was raped and murdered, in the biographical film “Boys Don’t Cry”. She gave a powerful and transformative performance, that earned her critical acclaim and recognition. She won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe, and the SAG Award for Best Actress. She also dedicated her Oscar to her mother, saying:
“I don’t know what I did in this life to deserve this. I’m just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream. I never thought this would ever happen, let alone be nominated. And a working actor, for that matter. And now this. My mom, who’s here with me tonight, who taught me to be a strong woman, to always be willing to take risks, no matter what the outcome. Mom, you’ve given me the world and I love you.”
Swank’s career took off after that, and she starred in more successful and acclaimed films, such as “The Gift”, “Insomnia”, “Million Dollar Baby”, “P.S. I Love You”, and “The Homesman”. She also won her second Academy Award, the Golden Globe, and the SAG Award for Best Actress, for her role as a female boxer in “Million Dollar Baby”. She also married and divorced actor Chad Lowe, and later married and divorced entrepreneur Philip Schneider. She also became a mother of twins, a boy and a girl, in April 2023.
Swank and her mother have come a long way from their days of living in their car. They have achieved their Hollywood dream, and have inspired many others with their story of courage and resilience. They have also remained close and grateful, and have celebrated each other’s successes and happiness. Swank said in an interview with The Guardian3:
“My mom is everything to me. She’s my role model, she’s my hero, she’s my best friend. She’s the reason I’m here today, and I owe everything to her. She’s the most amazing woman I know, and I love her more than anything.”
