This Girl Grew up in a Trailer Park, Later Became Homeless & Lived in a Car – Today She Is a Hollywood Star

Growing up in a trailer park, this actress went against all odds to become one of the most respected and celebrated actresses in the business. Today, she is a two-time Academy Award winner, but her journey was far from easy.

Growing Up

This actress’s early years were spent in Bellingham, Washington, where she lived in a trailer park. She often reflects on how some of her classmates were told not to associate with her because of where she came from.

“Yeah, I don’t know – they didn’t want their kids playing with me. I don’t know. I know it’s stupid. It’s so silly,” she said in an interview with CBS News.

Growing up in these circumstances, the actress found solace in performing. Eventually, she also realized that she would have to be strong to achieve her dream of becoming an actress.

Although this star was also involved in swimming and gymnastics during her childhood, by the time she was 15, she had made up her mind that acting was her true calling.

“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,'” she said. However, the only encouragement that really mattered was her mother’s.

With her father, Stephen, often absent due to his service in the Air National Guard and later his work as a traveling salesman, this future star had only her mother, Judy, to rely on.

“My mom said to me that I could do anything I wanted in life. As long as I worked hard enough,” the actress revealed. With that passion, they both started a hard journey to Hollywood.

This star was only 15 ½ years old when her parents got divorced. With the actress’ dream in mind, her mother packed their belongings and drove them to California with just $75.

They arrived in Los Angeles with no place to stay and had to live out of their old car for a short time. The star views this period as an adventure rather than a hardship. “For me, it was a dream come true. I was going to California to live my dream,” she said on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

Fortunately, she and her mother weren’t homeless for long. They were eventually able to stay at a friend’s house, but the situation was far from ideal.

Those early years in Los Angeles were marked by perseverance and rejection. “It was nine years of really hitting the pavement,” she said. Auditioning multiple times a day, she would often change outfits in the trunk of her car to fit the different roles she was auditioning for.

Later, she went on to play small parts in TV shows and movies like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” But, at 23, she got a chance to star on “Beverly Hills 90210.”

While the part was small, it was a big deal. However, her time on the show was brief. She was fired, and this was the first time she considered quitting. “I thought if I’m not a good enough actor for 90210, maybe I should pack it in,” she confessed.

However, this setback led to a major turning point in her career. With her contract on the show over, she was free to take on other roles.

This led to her iconic performance in “Boys Don’t Cry” in 1999, where she played Brandon Teena, a transgender man whose tragic story captivated audiences. This role earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, a significant achievement for a young actress just starting out.

Earning Her Hollywood Place

This actress is the talented Hilary Swank. After “Boys Don’t Cry,” she starred in several films, building her resume and earning a great reputation. In 2004, she appeared in “Million Dollar Baby,” alongside Clint Eastwood. This role earned her a second Academy Award for Best Actress.

She often rode the underground metro in New York City and shared that her humble upbringing has kept her from feeling the need for material wealth. “I use the subway all the time. It’s my form of transportation. It’s quick, inexpensive, and a great way for me to study people,” she said.

During the mid-2010s, the actress took a step back from her career, although she is listed in several films, according to her IMDb page. This is because she was caring for her father who had undergone a life-saving lung transplant.

In a 2018 interview with Stephen Colbert, Swank opened up about the decision to take time off. “They had given him, you know, a short time to live if he didn’t get a lung transplant,” she explained. “And thankfully, he got one, and he’s alive and thriving and well.”

The actress shared in 2015 that she had committed to prioritize spending time with her family and loved ones. Therefore, she dedicated herself to being by her father’s side during the challenging recovery period, taking three years off to help him through it.

Meanwhile, 2018 was an important year for the actress for another reason: she settled down again.

Finding Love at Last

Swank’s personal life, much like her career, has been a series of transformations. After her marriage to actor Chad Lowe in 1997, which ended in divorce in 2007, she had a series of relationships that were publicly scrutinized.

She dated agent John Campisi from 2007 until May 2012, followed by a shorter relationship with former tennis pro Laurent Fleury from December 2012 to January 2015. However, it wasn’t until 2016 that the actress met someone who would change her life in a deeper way.

Swank met Philip Schneider on a blind date, set up by mutual friends Misha Collins and his wife, Vicki, and another close friend named Jean. Their first date was special because they quickly realized they had something significant.

The couple married on August 18, 2018, at the Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, California. Their wedding took place amidst 800-year-old redwood trees in a private community surrounded by nature.

At the time, the actress shared an emotional message on social media. “I grew incredibly close to him during this time, deepening our relationship and savoring every moment we had together,” she wrote. “He will always remain one of my most favorite persons and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him [sic].”

In 2023, just a few months before she turned 49, Swank welcomed boy-girl twins with her husband, Schneider. In early 2024, the actress sat down with Jimmy Fallon to talk about her new life as a mother.

Now, at 50, Hilary Swank lives in Colorado, in a mountain house with many horses, and has learned what’s important in life and that hard work can make your dreams come true.