When she was 15, her parents separated, and her mother, supportive of her daughter's desire to act, moved with her to Los Angeles, where they lived out of their car until Swank's mother saved enough money to rent an apartment.
Roditelji su joj se rastali kad joj je bilo trinaest, a njena majka, kćerkinu želju za glumom, se preselila u Los Angeles gdje su živjele u autu sve dok majka nije uštedjela dovoljno da može unajmiti apartman.