Actress feels lucky to land second 'amazing' role

SAN FRANCISCO - After her Oscar-winning performance in 1999's "Boys Don't Cry," Hilary Swank thought the world was her oyster.She remembers thinking: "'I'm going to have so many amazing opportunities; this movie is just scratching the surface!'"

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Since then, her films have included "The Affair of the Necklace," "Insomnia," "The Space Between," "The Core" and the HBO drama "Iron Jawed Angels." None were as well received as "Boys Don't Cry."

Now she is earning critical raves for her role as boxer Maggie Fitzgerald in Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby."

"Not to put down any of these other movies I've done (since 'Boys Don't Cry'), but they weren't meaty like this," Swank told the San Francisco Chronicle in Sunday's editions. "I feel really lucky to have found two amazing roles before I hit 30."

Eastwood didn't see any other actresses for the role. "I was a fan of Hilary's from 'Boys Don't Cry' and I saw her in 'Insomnia,' where she was good, but she didn't have a very deep part."