By titli basu | July 18, 2014 1 Comment

Net Worth: $40 million

Career/Profession: Actress

Age: 40

“I don’t know what I did in life to deserve all of this. I’m just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream.”

                                                                                               -Hilary Swank

Hilary Swank is an American actress who has won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice and also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She made her film debut with a small role in Buff the Vampire Slayer in 1992 and then got her breakout role in the fourth film of the Karate Kid series. Her power packed performance in Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby earned her all the major awards. She has won our hearts with her performance in films like, P.S. I Love You, The Gift, Insomnia, New Year’s Eve, The Reaping, Freedom Writers, Iron Jawed Angels and many more.

Happy Birthday to You

Hilary Ann Swank was born on July 30, 1974 to a dancer mother and a sergeant father. She attended the school in Bellingham till the age of sixteen. She competed in the Junior Olympics and Washington state championships in the events of swimming and gymnastics. The acting bug hit her when she made her first stage performance at just the age of nine as a part of The Jungle Book in her school play. After her parents separated, she moved with her mother to Los Angeles with the dream of becoming an actress.

I want to be an Actress

Hilary Swank was first seen in the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer in a very small role and later in Quiet Days in Hollywood. The first major role she earned was in the fourth installment of The Karate Kid series, called The Next Karate Kid, where she utilized her gymnastics abilities. Next she was seen with British actor Bruce Payne in the film Kounterfeit. She was also seen in the television series Cries Unheard: The Donna Yaklich Story and then in 1997 she was seen as the single mother in Beverly Hills 90210. Her character was dropped out after the initial few episodes, which left her devastated.

After being dropped out from Beverly Hills 90210, she auditioned for Boys Don’t Cry and lost all her body fat for the role. She got a lot of critical appreciation for this role and some even hailed as the best female performance of that year. She went on to win the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Actress for this film.

The next step of success came for her when with Million Dollar Baby in 2004 where she underwent rigorous training to gain 19 pounds. This film again won her the second Golden Globe and Oscar. She was one of the very few who was twice nominated for the Oscar and Golden Globe and had won it both the times. In 2007, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

She stares in the 2007 drama Freedom Writers which was a real life story about a teacher who inspired a class. This role earned her critical appreciation. The same year, Hilary Swank was seen in the horror flick, The Reaping and also in the rom com, P.S. I Love You. She was seen in the biopic Amelia where she played the role of a pioneering aviator. In 2012, her audio book recording was released which was Caroline Knapp’s Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs.

Charity work

For a girl who came from such a middle class background, it is common to be involved in charity, because they best understand how needy people need help.

1. Blue Planet Run Foundation

Hilary Swank had campaigned for the charity organization, whose mission is to create awareness of the crisis of safe drinking water, and organized a relay race and utilized the money raised for safe drinking water.

2. Cinema For Peace

Hilary Swank has been giving in a lot of effort for this organization, which was started in 2002 and aims at maintaining peace and understanding through cinema.

3. Stand Up To Cancer

This is a nonprofit organization which raises money in order to assist scientists and researchers who have been researching for years to obtain a cure for cancer. Hilary Swank has participated in many of their fundraising events.

Assets I am Proud of

Enough of charity. Wanna see where the actress has spent her hard earned money on?

1. Pacific Palisades Home

This 6.700 sq. ft. Mediterranean home is owned by Hilary Swank. The house is located in the neighborhood of Los Angeles and is too large for accommodation. It has six bedrooms and six bathrooms and a large dining space. The top floor has a master suite which has arched windows, fireplace, walk in closet, and ocean view balcony. There are separate servants’ quarters too. The house has French doors and hardwood floors. There is a bar and a lounge on the lower levels of the house and a private wine cellar with a separate cigar room. There is a barbecue area along the pool and a spa.

2. Manhattan Apartment

This house is much smaller compared to the previous one. It has got that warm, cozy feeling. It has a master suite and a small kitchen and few other rooms, but the bathroom is really large and spacious.

3. Porsche 911 Carrera

Hilary Swank drives this black car herself which has got a 350 bhp 3.4 liter flat 6 engine that goes from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.6 seconds.

4. Mercedes Benz CLK 350 Coupe

This car has got a chic business class appearance. It is slimmer and can be easily parked in smaller spaces. It has a 68 horsepower 3.2 liter V6 that comes along with a 7 speed automatic transmission.

5. BMW Hydrogen 7

This 7 series sedan has a V12 engine that can be powered by both hydrogen and gasoline.

this is one rags to riches girl, who deserves all that she has earned over the years. we want to see more of her!