Meet the Nominees 2005: Best Actress

by By Beth Pinsker

Hilary Swank

Role: Maggie Fitzgerald, a tough-as-nails boxer, in Million Dollar Baby
Age: 30
How she got here: They say actors put a lot of sweat into their work, but Swank has done more perspiring in the service of her roles than most. A champion preteen gymnast, she got physical onscreen from her very first movie role, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and stayed tough in The Next Karate Kid two years later. Going girly on Beverly Hills 90210 didn't do much for her career, but she vaulted to a new level when she transformed into cross-dressing teen Brandon Teena for Boys Don't Cry in 1999, which earned her an Oscar.
Who she has to thank: Her always teary husband, Chad Lowe, whom she forgot to thank when she was on the Oscar stage the last time
Awards so far: Golden Globe win, nominee for SAG award Oscar-clip moment: That horrible slow-motion fall she takes to the mat after a sucker punch
The tea leaves say: Get your speech ready
The iVillage consensus: Give us your opinion

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