Hilary Swank gets Walk of Fame star

updated 7:25 p.m. ET Jan. 8, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Hilary Swank and her mom came to Hollywood 16 years ago with only $75 in their pockets. On Monday, the two-time Oscar winner received the ultimate sign that the move paid off: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“I remember my mom using a roll of quarters to call agents from a pay phone and telling agents they should sign me,” said the emotional 32-year-old during the dedication ceremony.

Swank, wearing a sophisticated black sleeveless dress, was flanked by producer Joel Silver and Richard LaGravenese, the director of her new film “Freedom Writers.”

In 2000, a then-unknown Swank walked away with the best-actress Oscar for her chilling portrayal of murdered transgender teen Brandon Teena in “Boys Don’t Cry.”

Five years later, she won another best-actress Oscar as the scrappy and determined boxer Maggie Fitzgerald in “Million Dollar Baby.”

Her star is the 2325th on the Walk of Fame.

In “Freedom Writers,” Swank plays a real-life Long Beach English teacher whose idealism spurs her to empower teens affected by racial strife.

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