Million Dollar Hilary

An emotional Hilary at the 77th Oscars

Life certainly took Hilary somewhere. Hilary Swank was born in Nebraska but spent most of her childhood in Bellingham, Washington. She has been swimming since the age of three, and competed in the Junior Olympics, as well as the Washington State Championships. She also ranked fifth in Washington for all-around gymnastics.

Hilary started acting at an early age, and appeared in several local plays. She moved to Los Angeles with her mother Judy when she was 16. Times were tough, and she and her mom were forced to live out of their car for a while, but before long Hilary landed her first professional acting job: two lines on Harry And The Hendersons. She got her first real break when she was cast as Kimberly, Buffy's best friend and sidekick in the feature film, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, she wasn't widely recognised at that point.

Her lack of name recognition actually aided Swank in landing the career transforming role of Teena Brandon, a Nebraska woman who opts to live as a man, in Boys Don't Cry (1999). Based on a true story and beautifully realised onscreen by director Kimberly Peirce, the film presented numerous challenges for Swank. Having successfully passed the audition, she chopped off her long hair and worked with a trainer to build the requisite physique. As part of her extensive preparation, the married Swank created a male alter ego and spent close to a month living in that persona in Los Angeles, a move that provided the actress with reams of first-hand research.

The onscreen results were nothing short of astonishing, conveying the swagger as well as the fragility of the character, with many praising Swank's performance as Brandon as one of the year's best. She earned numerous accolades, including a justly deserved Best Actress Academy Award. About her preference Hilary said, "I follow my gut because in the end that's all you have. I shied away from playing just 'the girl' roles because I didn't find them inspiring."

Hilary became a household name and took parts in many films after that. The Gift (2000), The Affair of the Necklace (2001), Insomnia (2002), and The Core (2003) are some of the many films that followed. Hilary gave laudable performances in all of her films. The year 2004, brought yet another run of critical success. Hilary played the role of Maggie Fitzgerald in the Clint Eastwood directed film Million Dollar Baby. In the movie about the struggles of a female boxer, her performance is so emotionally riveting, it leaves a long-lasting impression on viewers. And that impression paid off as Hilary received her second Oscar for the role.

Even at the peak of her career, Hilary seems modest. As she put it at the 77th Oscars, "I don't know what I did in this life to deserve all this. I'm just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream. I never thought this would ever happen."

Compiled by Cultural Correspondent