HOLLYWOOD -- Hilary Swank has moved from Beverly Hills 90210 to Oscars 2000.

There's no question she's in a better neighbourhood.

"But I didn't take the role to win awards," says Swank, best actress nominee for her he-was-a-she portrayal in Boys Don't Cry.

"I do admit that it is nice to get the recognition."

She might even get an Oscar. Fans of 90210 already know who she is.

"Yeah, some kids think I really am a single mother," she says, referring to her role on the TV series. "That was a great time for me, and it was a great issue, but y'know it was 90210, and ultimately it was all about the look."

So too, in a way, was Boys Don't Cry.

Swank had to transform herself into a male through a physical and psychological process that was tough on her, although she's glib about it now.

"On set I called it strapping and packing," she says, taking a break from the grind at the Four Seasons Hotel. "I was always strappng my breasts and packing a sock.

"Yeah, a sock. It makes for a better penis."

The things a girl learns making movies.


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