Hilary was discovered as a child by producer Suzy Sachs, who coached her in acting. When she was nine years old she starred in her first play as "Mowgli" in "The Jungle Book." She began to appear regularly in local theater and school plays. She went to school in Bellingham, where she lived with her family, until she was 16. She competed in the Junior Olympics and Washington State championships in swimming; she ranked 5th in the state in all-around gymnastics (which would come in handy for starring in Next Karate Kid, The (1994) years later). In 1990, Hilary and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled in South Pasadena High School, and started acting professionally. She appeared in _Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992)_ but Next Karate Kid, The (1994) where she got the part competing against hundreds of other actresses was her breakout role. Ever since then she has been much in demand, and has worked non-stop in movies. She won the Best Actress Oscar for Boys Don't Cry (1999). Offscreen, she married Chad Lowe on September 28, 1997. An aficionado for anything that involves the outdoors, she enjoys: sky diving, river rafting, and skiing.
First woman to win an Oscar in a role as a boxer
Is the third youngest actress to win 2 Best Actress Academy Awards. Luise Rainer and Jodie Foster were the first and second, respectively.
Joined Vivien Leigh, Helen Hayes, Sally Field and Luise Rainer as the only actresses with a perfect track record at the Oscars: Two nominations and two wins.
15th January 2005: Fined NZ$200 (AUD$190) for bringing undeclared fruit into New Zealand. She was found with an apple and orange at New Zealand's Auckland International Airport. She has since contested the fine.
"I guess I'm just not in it for the celebrity of it. I'm in it because I love it."
Birth name: Hilary Ann Swank
Gender: Female
Spouse: Chad Lowe
Profession: Actress
Marital status: Married
Height: 5' 5"