A versatile star! Before her role in ABC’s Alaska Daily, Hilary SwankMade a name with her unique selection of roles.
The 48-year old Nebraska native began her acting career in 1991 with an appearance on the Nebraska Today. Evening Shade. She continued to book TV roles, including Growing Pains, Camp Wilder Beverly Hills, 90210And more. After taking a long break, the Academy Award recipient opened up about how Hollywood had changed her perspective.
“I just think I’ve grown in that maybe opinions don’t matter,” Swank exclusively told Us Weekly2018 “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 spoke out about how she felt that taking a break was the right decision.
“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. Thank God, all my prayers were answered. He is healthy and doing really well five-plus years later.”
The actress also spoke out about how her priorities changed in her professional and personal lives. “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. A personal tragedy has caused me to be away from my phone for a few months. 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 to see five reasons Swank is so great Use’ woman crush!