A versatile star! Before her role in ABC’s Alaska Daily, Hilary Swank made a name for herself with a unique selection of roles.
The Nebraska native, 48, started her acting career in 1991 with an appearance in Evening Shade. She continued to book TV jobs including Growing Pains, Camp Wilder, Beverly Hills, 90210 and more. After taking a lengthy break, the Academy Award winner opened up about how her view of Hollywood had changed.
“I just think I’ve grown in that maybe opinions don’t matter,” Swank exclusively told Us Weekly in 2018. “When you’re younger, you’re really feeling like, ‘Ahh! What do people think?’ And then you realize you’re just never gonna please everybody.”
She continued: “You really have to make sure you’re pleasing yourself and choosing roles that are right for you, for your evolution as a person and as an artist. Always stay true to yourself.”
The I Am Mother star’s decision to take a five-year hiatus came amid her dad’s health issues. Swank later discussed how taking a break felt like an obvious choice for her.
“It was supposed to be a year, because it takes a year to see if an organ transplant takes. A lung transplant is the most difficult of all, as it’s an incredibly delicate organ. The plan was to take off a year,” she told Health Magazine in 2020 about her father’s recovery. “I became my dad’s health advocate. And, thank God, prayers were answered. He is healthy and doing really well five-plus years later.”
The actress also addressed how her priorities shifted in her personal and professional life. “It takes a lot of energy, love, and edifying yourself on the matter at hand. The ups and downs are so challenging and can be overwhelming,” she shared, referring to her career break. “Make sure that you’re taking time for yourself and that you vocalize what your needs are to the people who are around you so they can help support you.”
Following her father’s death in October 2021, Swank took to social media to offer a glimpse at her grieving process. “This past year was a big one for me and I know for so many of us. I have been off my phone and social media for a couple months due to a tremendous personal loss. In October, my Dear Dad, made his transition to the other side,” she captioned an Instagram selfie in January 2022. “I had a rather unique relationship with him as I was his sole caretaker after a lung transplant seven years ago. I grew incredibly close to him during this time, deepening our relationship and savoring every moment we had together.”
For Swank, the tragedy “awakened” her to the “truest sense” of living. “It helped me better understand the circle of life and where we come from and where we go back to, which has connected me back to my truest self,” she added. “It helped me forgive, to move past the things that hold me back, in whatever form that takes each day. As well as being deeply connected to the Ultimate Source and therefore, my Dad, always.”
Scroll down for five reasons why Swank is Us’ woman crush!
