Oscar award-winning actress Hillary Swank visited South Africa to star in a movie, ‘Red Dus’t, produced by the critically-acclaimed movie giant, Anant Singh. TERENCE PILLAY chatted to her on set in Graaf Reinet.

Hillary Swank is probably one of the most prolific actors to have emerged from the new breed of celluloid superpowers that rule world cinema. And to think that just a few years ago she was still relatively unknown, starring in what critics described as bubblegum films.

It’s also difficult to believe that she and her mother, Judy, lived out of their car when they first arrived in Los Angeles from Nebraska in the early nineties.

Now she commands the box office and is constantly showered with scripts in addition to playing opposite some really big names like Al Pacino, Kevin Bacon and Cate Blanchet. And with an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award on her mantelpiece, she is also one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood.

The movie

Red Dust, based on Gillian Slovo’s book of the same name, follows the story of Sarah, played by Swank, a South African once exiled to America, who returns to post-apartheid South Africa to the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.   

Swank says that when Singh first approached her to play the part, she was immediately drawn to the script because she is naturally attracted to stories like Red Dust, both as an actor and as an audience.

“I don’t know what it is in me, but I’ve always been drawn to true stories. I don’t think it’s necessarily a desire to educate people as much as it is the desire to tell a really compelling, important story.”

Swank says that as an actor it’s very important to get under the skin of a character to make the performance as credible as the tale. And in order to do this she fully immerses herself into researching as much back-story to that character as she can.

“In preparation for Red Dust, I watched all the TRC hearings on video as well as some documentaries, one of which was called The Long Night’s Journey into Day.” .

“I obviously read Red Dust, and a fabulous book about the history of South Africa called My Traitor’s Heart. Because I play a lawyer in the film, I went down to the district attorney’s office in New York and shadowed a few lawyers for some time in order to experience what it’s like to be a lawyer.”

Pride of place

Swank has been acting all her life. In high school she devoted her time to both acting and athletics and fared exceptionally well in both. She went on swim the Junior Olympics and the State Swimming Championships in Nebraska where she grew up and was also ranked fifth in the state for gymnastics.

 But acting always held pride of place in her life and it was while she was still very young and learning the tricks of the trade that she realised the importance of giving herself up wholly to her craft.

It was a philosophy that came in quite handy when she was cast in Boys Don’t Cry. For this role as lesbian, Tina Brandon, in this movie, for which she won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe, she cut her hair very short and spent a month living as a boy to get under the skin of her character. So convincing, so real, so gritty was her performance that she scooped these, two of Hollywood’s A-Grade awards, after being nominated alongside the likes of acting great Meryl Streep.

“I think Meryl Streep is the crème de la crème of acting. I also love the work of people like Debra Winger, Oprah Winfrey and Sean Penn. And I was really humbled to have been nominated alongside Meryl.”

Swank’s life changed significantly after the Oscar. She was now bombarded with scripts from producers who realised her acting prowess and were keen to cast her in their movies.

While Swank is most comfortable in roles based on reality, she doesn’t use her work as a vehicle to preach to audiences.

“I always feel like I’m giving a piece of myself to every role I play. But while they are issues that are important to me, they are not a great message from a soapbox. I firmly believe that movies should primarily entertain while at the same time give us something to connect to.”

After she completes shooting Red Dust, Swank immediately goes into production on another movie, which she doesn’t reveal too much about. Except that she will be shooting in New York, where she lives with her actor husband, Chad Lowe, brother of another acting great, Rob Lowe.

“I spend so much time away from home on location,” she says. “It’s going to be wonderful to go home at the end of the day. It’s also the first time I’ll be shooting in my hometown, so that’s going to be a real treat.”

South Africa

It’s the first time Swank has been to South Africa and says it’s been quite a healing experience for her. “I think this country is absolutely fabulous - the people here are so warm. There are obviously a lot of complexities with the fall of apartheid and how people feel. But there is also a wonderful richness here in the people,  their souls,  their spirits and the richness of the land. I’m completely blown away by it and it’s been a really enriching and life changing experience for me.”