Hilary Swank says she is being offered more acting roles after turning 50
By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Oscar winner Hilary Swank has said since turning 50 she has “more offers now than I’ve ever had”.
The American actress is not alone as a growing list of former Hollywood rising stars including Demi Moore, 62, Cate Blanchett, 55, and Nicole Kidman, 57, are earning box office hits and critical praise for their central roles.
Swank, who recently starred in the 2024 drama film Ordinary Angels and 2023 crime thriller The Good Mother as well as TV series Alaska Daily, has won two Academy Awards for actress in a leading role during her career.
The Women’s Health UK cover star told the publication: “Most people might be like, ‘Aren’t you worried that you’re now 50 and there’s not a lot of jobs?’. I’m like, ‘No, I have more offers now than I’ve ever had’. It’s an exciting time.”
She also said that Hollywood is “becoming more inclusive”, after being “patriarchal” when she began her career.
“I was playing roles that were written by men from what a female point of view is, and it wasn’t necessarily true … It’s not that I don’t like being feminine, I just don’t like being told how to be feminine,” Swank said.
The actress also said that she would advise her younger self to “make sure what is happening is what you want”.
She gave birth to her first two children, a son and a daughter, with husband Philip Schneider in 2023 at the age of 48, after reportedly freezing her eggs.
Swank said: “I would have had kids earlier. I’m not saying I actively waited until 47. But that was a magical time in my life, when it all culminated. It was the right time for a myriad of reasons.”
She also said that she is “a very different parent than I would’ve been” as she is “more patient” in middle age.
Swank said: “I’m really interested in their brains. I am fascinated about what makes them tick.
“And I have my career that’s already established, so I’m not divided. I’m able to really sink in and be present with them and be a hands-on parent.”
Her Oscars were for 1999’s Boys Don’t Cry, about a transgender teenager who moves to Falls City, Nebraska, and 2004’s Million Dollar Baby, chronicling the journey of an amateur boxer who wants to turn professional.
She is also known for drama Freedom Writers, romantic drama P.S. I Love You, Amelia Earhart biopic film Amelia and thriller The Hunt.
The full Hilary Swank interview is available in the May issue of Women’s Health UK, on sale now or at womenshealthmag.com/uk/health/a64497935/hilary-swank-interview.