When you think of Hilary Swank words like ”grit,” ”talent,” and ”unstoppable” probably come to mind.
But before she graced red carpets and delivered jaw-dropping performances in award-winning films, her story was anything but glamorous.
Hilary Swank was raised in a trailer park
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and raised in a trailer park in Bellingham, Washington, Hilary Swank stepping into Hollywood as a young teenager armed with sheer determination and a dream.
As a young girl with a passion for acting, she was encouraged to perform in school plays and local theater productions.“I had some teachers that I still think of fondly and were amazing to me. But I had other teachers who said, ‘You know what? This dream of yours is a hobby,’” Swank told CBS, adding that that her mom’s unwavering support is all that matters.
“My mom said to me that I could do anything I wanted in life. As long as I worked hard enough,” Swank told the outlet in 2005 after picking up her second Oscar. “And to this day, it still makes me really emotional, because I just never questioned it, you know? She just always believed in me.”
Arriving in Los Angeles
”She was at a crossroads. My father and her were getting separated, and she said, ‘Let’s go to California,’” says Swank. ”And so $75, and a Mobil card, we drove down to California.”
After they arrived in Los Angeles, the pair struggled, living in their car while Swank looked for auditions.
“We had a friend who was selling their house. And so, they said, ‘You know, there’s no furniture, but you can stay there at night. And then, during the day, you have to leave so we can try and sell it,’” says Swank. “So we got air mattresses. Blew the air up. Slept on the air mattresses. And left in the morning.”
But they weren’t homeless for long.
Early roles
After some time in California, Swank left South Pasadena High School to focus on her acting career. Reflecting on her decision, she admitted, “I’m not proud to say I didn’t finish high school.”
”I felt like such an outsider. I didn’t feel like I fit in. I didn’t belong in any way. I didn’t even feel like the teachers wanted me there. I just felt like I wasn’t seen or understood,” she also said.
The young actor started landing guest roles on TV shows like Growing Pains and Camp Wilder, and in 1994 she had her big break in The Next Karate Kid.
While the movie didn’t catapult her to stardom, it gave her valuable experience and put her on Hollywood’s radar.
Her next high-profile role came on the hit TV series Beverly Hills, 90210. Swank had a starring role in the show’s eighth season but her character was written out after just 16 episodes.