Hilary Swank is used to pushing her physical limits in order to perform her roles. The actress, after all, rose to fame in 1999 after playing a transgender man in Boys Do Not Cry, for which she received her first Academy Award and Golden Globe award.
Additionally, the actress, who will turn 49 on July 30, received widespread acclaim for her breakout role in Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby, for which she won her second Academy Award.
However, she once had a health issue that nearly worsened than she had anticipated while she was filming Eastwood’s 2004 sports drama film.
Well, Swank’s performance in Million Dollar Baby continues to receive praise. The movie, which earned $216.8 million worldwide, has since been hailed as one of the best releases of the 2000s and the twenty-first century.
Hilary Swank Nearly Died While Filming For Million Dollar Baby?
Hilary Swank, an Oscar-winning actress known for her unwavering devotion to her roles, once had a near-death experience while shooting the 2004 film, Million Dollar Baby. Clint Eastwood starred in, co-produced, and directed the sports drama film, which was very different from what you might anticipate from Hollywood.
Swank underwent a significant transformation for the Million Dollar Baby film. She went above and beyond what the makers had asked of her to get ready for the part.
Although that kind of exercise could be taxing on the body, Swank discovered that she was hurting in the wrong way as the actress previously told CBS News:
“I was about halfway through my training when I got a blister…the size of my palm on the ball of my foot. And it was my front foot, the one I have to pivot on. …So, I popped it. …I popped it myself. I didn’t let it pop on its own, whatever. I popped it on its own. And I did it in the bathtub.”
But the Heartwood actress’ attempts to pop the blister did not help matters at all. During that time, she learned that she had a potentially fatal staph infection.
“I couldn’t believe the pain,” she said. “It was — unbelievable. And I looked down…there were streaks going up my foot. So, I went to the doctor that second. And he looked at me, and he said, ‘This is really serious. And if you would have waited two more hours, you would have been in the hospital for three weeks.’ And if it gets to your heart, that’s it.”
‘It was one of the best scripts I’ve ever read’
Hilary Swank was enthusiastic about working on Million Dollar Baby for a few different reasons. She read the script and immediately saw the potential of the movie. The Quiet Days in Hollywood actress once stated in an interview with Emanuel Levy:
“It was one of the best scripts I’ve ever read. Paul Haggis, who adapted the stories, did an amazing job. I laughed and I cried and I was inspired.”
However, one of the primary reasons she decided to participate in the project was Clint Eastwood‘s direction as she noted:
“When I heard that he was interested in me, I about fell off my chair, because Clint has been making movies longer than I’ve been alive. I’ve grown up watching his movies and have been inspired by this man. So when I first met him, I was really struck speechless, which is pretty hard for me. Clint is actually the first person that ever made me blush. I turned as red as an apple, but then, instantly, I felt really at ease. He just puts you at ease.”
Swank, however, refused to reveal her infection to the Unforgiven actor:
“He still to this day doesn’t know. The producers don’t know. No one knows…except my trainers…because, in the end, that’s what happens to boxers.”
Swank was awarded the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actress for her outstanding performance as Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby.
Her upcoming films, Ordinary Angels and Mother’s Milk are slated to release on October 13, 2023, and September 1, 2023, respectively.