Hilary Swank discusses the film “Ordinary Angels” and the concept of miracles.
Hilary Swank feels right at home in the most picturesque area of the Pacific Northwest. She has many fond recollections of her childhood spent here. “This lake was like my closest companion, as I spent all my sunny days swimming in it,” she reminisced.
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Currently, the actress who has won two Oscars is remaining in her comfort zone, both personally and professionally. Her latest movie, “Ordinary Angels,” is based on a real-life account of a woman who goes to great lengths to assist a young girl in need of a liver transplant, even pleading with the hospital to eliminate the accumulating medical expenses.
Swank, whose father received a lung transplant, found the story particularly personal. She began filming approximately five months after his passing on October 1, 2021. “It almost felt like fate to be involved,” she expressed.
The second official trailer for Ordinary Angels (2024) starring Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, and Nancy Travis.Lionsgate Movies on
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This could also be applied to Hilary Swank.
She was brought up in Bellingham, Washington and spent her childhood in a less desirable neighborhood. Certain students at her school were cautioned against befriending the girl from the trailer park. “I don’t understand – they didn’t want their children to associate with me. It’s ridiculous and nonsensical.”
However, she couldn’t shake it off. Swank explained, “It stuck with me because I didn’t grasp it at the time.” She found it intriguing that some individuals in her hometown now claim to have always believed in her. Swank countered, “That’s not true.” She couldn’t help but speak out against such statements.
What was their reply? “They stated that they have no recollection.”
She never seemed to forget the difficulty of achieving success. Over the years, she accepted any role, regardless of how minor it may have been. She may be familiar to you from her appearance in “Growing Pains” alongside fellow struggling actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, who was also on his way to success.
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“During a span of nine years, I tirelessly pounded the pavement,” she shared. “I would audition up to five times a day, often carrying a variety of outfits in my car to transform into different characters for each audition.”
There was a significant amount of refusal. “It can be difficult to constantly hear criticism about your appearance and why you were not chosen for certain things. It can make you question if you need to alter something about yourself. I think this is why I unconsciously sought out roles that focused on the character rather than physical appearance.”
This proved to be the pivotal moment. In 1999, she was cast in a transformative role: portraying a transgender teenager in the real world in “Boys Don’t Cry.”
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Swank became a well-known figure in Hollywood almost overnight, gaining recognition but not wealth. Despite winning an Oscar for “Boys Don’t Cry,” she only received a payment of $3,000 and did not have health insurance. She later discovered that she needed to earn at least $5,000 per year to be eligible for health insurance. This realization came when she tried to fill a prescription and was told it would cost $260. Realizing she couldn’t afford it, Swank chose to forgo the medication.
It appears that she has had to work hard for all of her achievements. While playing a boxer in the film “Million Dollar Baby,” director and co-star Clint Eastwood had her increase her muscle mass through a rigorous training regimen and a significant increase in food consumption. She consumed an impressive 60 egg whites daily. She even jokes, “I drank them!”
The film further solidified her status as a prominent figure in Hollywood.
Following her second Academy Award win, she remained active in her career. However, in 2014, she took a break from work to attend to her father who was recuperating from a lung transplant. “I ended up taking a little more time off, but I stepped away from my career for three years,” she explained. “I know some people were concerned about how it would affect my career, but my only concern was my father’s well-being.”
The idea that your career could potentially disappear was not even on my mind, it was the least of my worries.
Swank expressed, “It was a wonderful experience. Our bond grew even stronger and he remains one of my most cherished individuals. I think of him constantly and not being present would have been a huge regret.”
Unfortunately, the woman’s father was unable to meet his grandchildren. The woman and her husband, Phillip Schneider, welcomed twins (a boy and a girl) last year, just a few months before the woman’s 49th birthday. According to her, the twins just turned ten months old and she has been with them every day since their birth.
The title “Ordinary Angels” suggests that the film explores how everyday people are capable of extraordinary acts. This is evident in the achievements of its lead actor as well.
When questioned about whether she considers her career to be miraculous, Swank responded, “That’s a great question. I believe a large part of it stems from my passion for it, but I also made a conscious decision to pursue it. I never doubted my path or had a backup plan in case it didn’t work out.”
Was there no alternative plan? “No, I simply never stated that I wouldn’t do it, you understand? ‘Can’t’ was considered a negative word in my household. So, if that is something extraordinary, then yes, I have faith in miracles.”
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John D’Amelio produced the story, which was edited by Lauren Barnello.
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Source: cbsnews.com