![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitueczYiCzlM3rJwFrGmJQ9z_thPNLl0kd_ze-0KuMC2xa3QWfDiL5CqK6wmnsKzicNIvEhi7-q4PXkAF7cvgFDJhpny9S_GmUTtwFEeQwTJXVwLkxth1hV9zlCeZk_T5jMp4JR2BV46s/s400/hilary-swank-oscars-2011-03.jpg)
Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress. Her film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid (1994), where she played Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi. She has become known for her two Academy Award-winning performances: first as Brandon Teena, a transgender man (FTM) in the movie Boys Don't Cry (1999), and a struggling waitress-turned-boxer, Maggie Fitzgerald, in Million Dollar Baby (2004).