Every Best Actress Oscar Movie Winner Of The 21st Century Ranked
9. Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Who should have won: Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby.
It's hard to picture first-choice star Sandra Bullock playing Maggie Fitzgerald, a born fighter whose dream turns into a nightmare, but that's only because Hilary Swank is such a transformative, heartbreaking force of nature in the role.
Entering the film as a fiery dreamer hoping to prove herself to Clint Eastwood's bitter old boxing coach, Swank brings Maggie to life with endless energy and enthusiasm, but also a clever seriousness that gives her an underestimated, no-bullsh*t edge no man in the film can defeat.
Swank captures everything that makes Maggie tick - her passion, insecurities, and trauma - and blends them all together to flawlessly bring to life a performance of monumental power. She grips you in a warm embrace, then breaks your heart.