Hilary Swank loves sales and bargains

She went from a trailer park to a double Oscar winning actress but Hillary Swank says that her impoverished childhood has helped her appreciate the wealth she has and she still loves a good bargain. The actress says that she does not spend money without thinking and loves to buy things for her family. "My background is not something I forget. It helps me to not take what I have for granted. It’s an incredible feeling to know that I can actually buy that pair of shoes, and I appreciate a sale as much as the next person. I think about how I’m spending my money, and I like to spend on my family," said the 36-year-old actress. Her working class roots have also helped her empathise with the characters she’s portrayed, women who have to struggle to overcome prejudice and discrimination, whether because of their sex or their blue-collar backgrounds.

The actress who won Oscars for her work in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’, says that her role as a working-class mother Betty Anne Waters in her latest film ‘Conviction’, is close to her heart.

"Growing up in a lower-income family, you don’t have the resources to make ends meet and you have to find creative ways to get by. That infuses your character with a lot of drive and determination and yes, I share that with Betty Anne. She was easily judged as a kind of castoff, and that’s part of her story that I can relate to," said Swank.

Hilary Swank to launch Athleisure apparel

Actress Hilary Swank is all set to launch her own clothing line. Swank is the latest celeb to step into the design ring. The Academy-Award winner will be working with the DMA Designers Management Agency on a clothing line with ‘an athletic bent’.

The look of the apparel is expected to be ‘Athleisure’, according to branding experts.

Hilary Swank eyeing for third Oscar

Hillary Swank seems to have set her sights on another Oscar with her new movie ‘Conviction’, which is based on a real story and is set to release in the midst of movie-award season. Swank, who has two Oscars under her belt for roles in “Boy’s Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby”, spoke about her upcoming flick during a special screening for the film hosted by the New York Film Society.

“The idea of even having an Academy Award is something I’m really grateful for and quite in awe of and humbled by. I just tell stories that challenge me as an actor and as a human being, and ‘Conviction’ was certainly that challenge,” said Hillary.

Swank portrays Betty-Anne Waters, an unemployed single mother, who spent 18 years earning a law degree to defend her brother, who was wrongly convicted of murder.

The real life Betty-Anne Waters were also in attendance at the screening.

While audiences may be drawn to the film by Swank’s performance, the filmmakers hope that viewers will be stunned and even alter their personal convictions about those who are actually innocent or guilty.

Hilary Swank was troubled and insecure as a kid

Actress Hilary Swank has revealed that she was a troubled kid and felt insecure about her future.

The two time Academy Award winner spent her childhood in a humble trailer park in Washington.

"I was a troubled kid. I felt like an outsider. I didn’t feel like I belonged, especially in the classroom. I just wish that I would have been more secure. It’s that trap of thinking there’s nothing beyond high school,” said the actress.

However, ‘The Million Dollar Baby’ star now looks forward to play difficult roles that are challenging.

She said: "Now, I long to play characters that challenge me and scare me and make me learn new things about the world, about myself and about my art.

"I’m a girl from a trailer park. I never imagined winning an Academy Award, much less two. I just wanted to act."

Hilary Swank desperate to gain weight

Oscar winning actress Hilary Swank has revealed that she gave up vegetarianism after 18 years in a bid to gain weight and stay healthy.

The 35 year old abandoned vegetarianism two years ago when she suddenly started dropping pounds and Swank admits she’s much happier with her figure since the diet change, though she still struggles with eating animal flesh.

"I just started withering away. I wasn’t getting enough vitamins or protein. It was very emotional. I sat over my plate and cried. I really had to work through it. It still makes me emotional. I don’t know if you have ever looked into a cow’s eye, but it is so soulful. So I don’t like it - but it’s something I have to do," she said.