‘Ordinary Angels’ Hilary Swank Lived in an Ordinary Oldsmobile Before Making It Big in Hollywood
Oscar and Golden Globe-winning celebrity Hilary Swank, star of “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby,” comes from humble roots. At age 16, she moved with her mother, Judy, from Bellingham, Washington, to LA. The goal was to jumpstart Hilary’s career in Hollywood. Many might be surprised to learn that the pair were homeless upon arrival. They slept in her mom’s Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme until Judy secured an apartment.
The Wall Street Journal interviewed Swank ahead of the new film “Ordinary Angels.” Swank fondly opened up about her early days in Hollywood. “I began the process of breaking into the business…My mother and I first lived in her Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme on quiet residential streets,” she recalled. “When we weren’t sleeping in the car, we stayed at the house of a new friend my age whose family had just moved out and were trying to sell their home. We slept on an air mattress.”
Swank eventually landed roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1992) and “The Next Karate Kid” (1994). She starred in “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999), for which she earned her first Oscar.
Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme model years, specs, features
The Oldsmobile Cutless ran from 1966 to 1997, went for five generations, and was a popular midsize sedan. The Cutlass Supreme started as a luxury trim but morphed into its own model. Classic.com lists each generation and recent sales data.
With Swank’s move to Hollywood in 1990, we might assume her mom’s model was part of the fourth generation, which ran from 1978 to 1988.
At the time, Oldsmobile offered the Cutlass Supreme as a coupe, sedan, or station wagon. You’ll find automatic transmissions, V6 and V8 engine options, RWD, and various exterior and interior colors. Many have either monotone matching or completely contrasting interior colors to the exterior.
The fourth gen was smaller than the preceding model years. Folks might decipher the late 1970s Cutlass Supremes as losing its midcentury Americana aesthetic.
Swank considers her mom to be one of her greatest supporters. Judy was with her daughter at Swank’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2007.
