From Boys Don’t Cry to Million Dollar Baby to The Black Dahlia, double Oscar winner Hilary Swank continues to steer clear of pigeonholing with her latest role as inspirational teacher Erin Gruwell in Freedom Writers. La Swank told Virgin Media that her own teen angst was somewhat comparable.
HS: It was comparable in that I was definitely dealing with adversity in my life, but I would never try and compare it to the depths of what they went through. The thing I was drawn to most was that power of someone believing in you. One of the things that makes me saddest in life is people who feel hopeless about their lives - a child or young adult should never feel that.
VM: What was it like meeting the real Erin?
HS: She’s a force of nature, so outgoing, gregarious and genuine; she has a way about her that is rare. It’s no shock she got as far as she has within the educational system, and where she is today, speaking around the world about teaching - she thinks outside the box.
VM: And Erin told producers she only wanted you to play her?
HS: That’s what she said! She said she saw Boys Don’t Cry and thought from that movie she wanted me to play her, which I find fascinating.
VM: Was it because both films are based on real life stories?
HS: That’s a good example of what she tried to describe to me when I asked her, ‘How in God’s name she figured out from Boys Don’t Cry that I should play her!’
VM: You’re known for totally immersing yourself in the characters you play – how important is that to you?
HS: Those characters will always be in me somewhere, because part of what I love about being an actor is getting underneath their skin. With Boys Don’t Cry I lived my life as a boy for four weeks on the streets, to see what worked and what didn’t! And on Million Dollar Baby, I boxed for three months before filming, every single day, six days a week, five hours a day. I live these lives for a short time, but really intensely - they help create who I am, because I learn about life on a deeper level than if I hadn’t been an actor.
VM: Did you have an inspirational teacher growing up?
HS: I didn’t have a teacher quite like Erin. But for me this movie is about the power of how one person can change your life, and I did have that one person - my mum. So I was given that gift. Unfortunately I don’t think everyone is, and they’re made to feel like there’s no place for them in the world. That was the case with a lot of these kids she found herself teaching.
VM: Did you research any ‘inspirational teacher’ films?
HS: Yeah, when I first heard about this story I thought of Dangerous Minds, but after reading it, I felt it was more Blackboard Jungle. But you know ignorance is the most dangerous thing in the world. When we feel like there’s someone we don’t understand, that threatens you, but if you only sat down with that person you’d realise you had a lot of things in common. We’re all the same.
VM: Do you think any of the first time actors in Freedom Writers will pursue acting careers?
HS: Some absolutely would like to, not all, but a few would. But there aren’t many roles for the Latino, Asian, and African-American community unfortunately.
2nd March 2007
