Hilary Swank remembers sleeping in the car before Hollywood success
Hilary Swank.
Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesBreaking into the company wasn't exactly a piece of cake Hilary Swank.
Long before she became an Oscar winner for her performances in Boys do not Cry And Million Dollar Babythe actress was a young student who would do anything to make her dreams come true.
In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, February 20, Swank recalled the moment she left her high school in Washington after her sophomore year to travel to Los Angeles in hopes of finding success on the big screen.
“My mother had recently divorced my father, so we drove from Bellingham, Washington to Los Angeles,” Swank, 49, told the publication. “I started the process of breaking into the business. In LA, my mother and I first lived in her Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme on quiet residential streets. When we weren't sleeping in the car, we were staying at the house of a new friend my age, whose family had just moved and was trying to sell their house. We slept on an air mattress.”
Four years after they secretly tied the knot, Hilary Swank announced that she and husband Philip Schneider were expecting twins. “This is something I've wanted for a long time, and my next thing is I'm going to be a mother,” the Oscar winner revealed during an October 2022 appearance on Good Morning America. “And […]
After Hilary's mother, Judy Swank, found secretarial work, the duo was able to rent a bedroom from a single mother. Slowly but surely, Hilary began to make progress towards her goals.
“At first I was only booking good television parts, but I didn't care,” she said. “I was excited to make my dream come true.”
Through the highs and lows that auditions brought, Hilary said she had the support of her mother, who previously danced in high school. “She understood the excitement of performing,” says the PS I love you star explained, “and why acting brought me to life.”
Hilary eventually signed on Bonnie Liedtkewho discovered and represented several talented actors including Leonardo DiCaprio. Her first big film break came in 1992 when she landed a role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
More than 30 years later, Hilary continues to find success with her latest project, a starring role in the family-friendly film Ordinary angels.
But instead of calling Hollywood home, Hilary and her husband… Philip Schneider, prefer to live their lives out of the spotlight. The couple has been married since 2018 and lives a private life in both Colorado and Washington while raising twins Aya and Ohm.
It wasn't until last Valentine's Day that Hilary confirmed the names of her 10-month-old children.
“We have horses, dogs and a parrot,” she said, describing her rustic Colorado home. “We hope to add goats, chickens and maybe a pig.”
A dream come true. Over the years, Hilary Swank has discussed her plans for motherhood — and her reason for not rushing the process. In 2006, the actress noted that she was “so optimistic” when it came to her future as a parent. “I would definitely like to have children someday. That's definitely something I've always done […]
She also hopes to never forget where she comes from.
“Even though I'm glad we left LA, when I'm there for meetings, I occasionally drive down a street in Pasadena where my mother and I parked and slept,” Hilary said. “Despite the challenges, I feel nostalgic for that time when we had nothing.”