Hilary Swank
Two-Time Oscar Winner, Million Dollar Baby, Boys Don't Cry
The Working-Class Lioness
Hilary Swank is one of only four actors to win two Academy Awards — both for transformative performances that required extreme physical and emotional commitment. She trained as a real boxer for Million Dollar Baby and lost 40 pounds for Boys Don’t Cry. She grew up poor, living in her car in Los Angeles after moving to pursue her dream — the definition of Leo grit.
Leo Legacy
- Boys Don’t Cry: First Oscar for Best Actress 1999 — playing transgender man Brandon Teena
- Million Dollar Baby: Second Oscar 2005 — trained with real boxers for six months
- P.S. I Love You: Commercial success proving range across genres
- Hiking: Passionate mountaineer who has summited multiple major peaks
Swank proves Leo’s greatest superpower: the absolute refusal to accept limits others set for you.
“I had to start believing in myself before anyone else would.”