Hilary Swank

Hilary Swank is an Oscar-winning actress. Raised in Washington state, Swank began acting in local theater productions as a child. Following her parent’s divorce, Swank moved to Los Angeles with her mother to pursue a career in acting. She briefly attended South Pasadena High School but dropped out to act full time.

Swank landed early roles on television series like Evening Shade and Growing Pains before gaining attention as Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid (1994). Her breakthrough role came in 1999, when she starred in Boys Don’t Cry as Brandon Teena, a role that earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. She won her second Oscar in 2005 for her performance in Million Dollar Baby (2004).

Swank has since appeared in a range of films, including P.S. I Love You (2007), Conviction (2010), The Homesman (2014) and The Hunt (2020). On television, she starred in Netflix’s Away and ABC’s Alaska Daily, earning a Golden Globe nomination for the latter.

In 2025, she appeared as Melissa on the psychological thriller Yellowjackets.

Swank married actor Chad Lowe in 1997, and the couple split in 2007. She later tied the knot with entrepreneur Philip Schneider in 2018. In April 2023, they welcomed twins Aya and Ohm.