Hilary Swank has opened up about a struggle that she faced in the male dominated industry.
While appearing for an interview with Women’s Health, the Hollywood actress candidly discussed the patriarchal system when she started her career.
At the age of 16, she made her movie debut with a minor role as a valley girl, Kimberly Hannah, in the movie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
“Thankfully, it’s becoming more inclusive,” the two-time Oscar winner began. “But when I started, it was more patriarchal than ever.”
“And so I was playing roles that were written by men from what a female point of view is, and it wasn’t necessarily true.”
“It’s not that I don’t like being feminine, I just don’t like being told how to be feminine,” the Million Dollar Baby actress admitted.
Referring to her first ever Oscar for her leading role in Boys Don’t Cry, which was about a transgender man who is seeking a new life, she said it was “like I was shot out of a cannon. ‘Take a breath for a second.’ ”
“I’d say to really ruminate on the choices that you’re making every day. Make sure what is happening is what you want. That’s the only control we have — the choices we make every day. My time is my life,”Swank concluded.