Sunday, July 09, 2006

Another Swank Take...

Revelations Not Swanky

Vanity Fair sent its best writer, Leslie Bennetts, to interview two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank. The results are startling revelations about Swank's divorce from actor Chad Lowe, and I don't think they do much for Swank.

She says Lowe is "sober" after overcoming demons, but that his addiction — whatever it was — tanked the marriage.

I have to speak up a little in defense of Chad Lowe. When he married her, Lowe had no idea Swank would become an overnight Oscar darling with a runaway career. He was always a hard-working actor who labored in the shadow of his showier brother, Rob.

But Chad was just as talented and never traded on his brother's fame. It must have been pretty hard to wake up and discover himself in that position again, this time with his wife.

I'm a little surprised Hilary "sold out" Chad that way. When I saw them together, he was nothing if not supportive and solicitous. It's hard to imagine the Vanity Fair piece was agreed to by Swank as a means of hurting Lowe. Good guys are allowed to screw up once in a while, too. - RF