Hilary Swank Reveals Why She Had To Take 3-Year Acting Break

Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank recently revealed she had to take a break from acting in order to care for her father.

The 46-year-old actress, who went on a three-year hiatus in 2014, told Health magazine in an exclusive interview she stepped back from acting to look after her father as he underwent a lung transplant.

"It was supposed to be a year, because it takes a year to see if an organ transplant takes. A lung transplant is the most difficult of all, as it’s an incredibly delicate organ. The plan was to take off a year. I became my dad’s health advocate. One year quickly turned into two and then three. And, thank God, prayers were answered. He is healthy and doing really well five-plus years later," she told the magazine.

Speaking about the emotional toll her father’s heath battle took on her, she said, "It takes a lot of energy, love and edifying yourself on the matter at hand. The ups and downs are so challenging and can be overwhelming. Make sure that you’re taking time for yourself and that you vocalize what your needs are to the people who are around you so they can help support you."

After the long hiatus, the actress went on to star in the 2018 FX limited series "Trust." Earlier this year, she starred in the thriller "The Hunt."

Speaking about her next venture, Netflix’s space drama "Away" in which she reprises the role of an astronaut, she told the magazine, "Before being an actor, I wanted to be an astronaut. I had such passion for, and respect for, astronauts and people who are exploring something that’s so much bigger than all of us. Something else, which was just as significant to me when I read 'Away', was that the script was unique in its inclusion of so many multiethnic characters."

"They too are all struggling with their own powerful personal stories, which really connects all of us. It also highlights the beautiful fact that space has no borders. We could use more of that down here right now," she added.