Hilary Swank is an American actress and film producer. She began acting in 1991, appearing in the sitcoms Evening Shade (1991), Growing Pains (1991–1992), and Camp Wilder (1992–1993). This was followed by roles in Fran Rubel Kuzui's Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) and Christopher Cain's The Next Karate Kid (1994), the series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1997–1998), and a number of television film credits. Her breakthrough came with her portrayal of Brandon Teena, a transgender murder victim, in Kimberly Peirce's Boys Don't Cry (1999), winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress. Boys Don't Cry later became Swank's first film selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Swank's output of the early 2000s include supporting roles in Sam Raimi's The Gift (2000) and Christopher Nolan's Insomnia (2002), as well as headlining Katja von Garnier's Iron Jawed Angels (2004). She earned acclaim for portraying a female boxer in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby (2004), winning her second Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress, as well as the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. She found continued commercial success with leading roles in Richard LaGravenese's films Freedom Writers (2007) and P.S. I Love You (2007). She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.
After a period of critical fluctuations, Swank appeared in well-received films such as Tommy Lee Jones' The Homesman (2014), Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky (2017), Elizabeth Chomko's What They Had (2018), Grant Sputore's I Am Mother (2019), and Jon Gunn's Ordinary Angels (2024). She returned to television with starring roles in the series Trust (2018), Away (2020), and Alaska Daily (2022–2023), the last two of which she executive-produced. Film
+ Year Title Role Notes 1992Buffy the Vampire SlayerKimberly Hannah1994The Next Karate KidJulie Pierce1996Sometimes They Come Back... AgainMichelle PorterKounterfeitColleen1997Quiet Days in HollywoodLolita1998HeartwoodSylvia Orsini1999Boys Don't CryBrandon Teena2000The GiftValerie BarksdaleThe AuditionShort film2001The Affair of the NecklaceJeanne St. Rémy de Valois2002InsomniaDetective Ellie BurrThe Space BetweenShort film200311:14"Buzzy"The CoreMajor Rebecca "Beck" Childs2004Red DustSarah BarcantMillion Dollar BabyMary Margaret "Maggie Mo Cuishle" Fitzgerald2006The Black DahliaMadeleine Linscott...So Goes the NationHerselfDocumentary film2007Freedom WritersErin GruwellThe ReapingKatherine WinterA Place in TimeHerselfDocumentary film P. S. I Love YouHolly Kennedy2008Birds of AmericaLaura2009AmeliaAmelia EarhartAlso executive producer2010ConvictionBetty Anne WatersAlso executive producer2011The ResidentDr. Juliet DevereauSomething BorrowedProducerNew Year's EveClaire Morgan2014The HomesmanMary Bee CuddyYou're Not YouKate ParkerAlso producer2015Lauda: The Untold StoryHerselfDocumentary film2016SparkThe Queen (voice)2017Logan LuckySarah Grayson55 StepsColette Hughes2018What They HadBridget ErtzAlso executive producer2019I Am MotherWoman2020The HuntAthena StoneFataleDetective Valerie Quinlan2023The Good MotherMarissa Bennings2024Ordinary AngelsSharon Stevens
Television
+ Year Title Role Notes 1991Evening ShadeAimee Thompson4 episodes1991–1992Growing PainsSasha Serotsky2 episodes1992–1993Camp WilderDanielle19 episodes1994Cries Unheard: The Donna Yaklich StoryPatty YaklichTelevision film1996Terror in the FamilyDeena MartenTelevision film1997Dying to BelongLisa ConnorsTelevision filmThe Sleepwalker KillingLauren SchallTelevision filmLeaving L.A.Tiffany Roebuck6 episodes1997–1998Beverly Hills, 90210Carly Reynolds16 episodes2004Iron Jawed AngelsAlice PaulTelevision film2013Mary and MarthaMary MorganTelevision film2018TrustGail GettyMain role2019–2020BoJack HorsemanJoey PogoVoice role; 5 episodes2020AwayEmma GreenMain role; also executive producer2022–2023Alaska DailyEileen FitzgeraldMain role; also executive producer2025Yellowjackets Adult Melissa2 episodes
See also
List of awards and nominations received by Hilary Swank
References
External links