Hilary Swank was sleeping in a car before she found success in Hollywood.

The 49-year-old actress has recalled leaving high school and travelling to Los Angeles in the hope of becoming a movie star.

Hilary told the Wall Street Journal newspaper: "My mother had recently separated from my father, so we drove down to Los Angeles from Bellingham, Washington.

"I began the process of breaking into the business.

"In Los Angeles, my mother and I first lived in her Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme on quiet residential streets. When we weren’t sleeping in the car, we stayed at the house of a new friend my age whose family had just moved out and were trying to sell their home. We slept on an air mattress."

Although success didn't come easily, Hilary relished the challenge of finding success in the TV and film business.

The Oscar-winning star said: "Starting out, I booked just OK television parts, but I didn’t care. I was excited to be living my dream."

Hilary welcomed twins Aya and Ohm ten months ago, and she recently described motherhood as a "gift".

The acclaimed actress - who stars in the new drama film 'Ordinary Angels' - told 'Extra': "So much of acting is empathising and really stepping in people’s shoes and seeing through their eyes.

"I mean, I haven’t done a movie since having my babies with the strike and everything, so we’ll see what it brings, but I just think that having babies makes you feel deeper everything. You just ... I think it’s such a gift. I don’t know how else to say it."

Hilary also revealed the inspiration behind the names of her children.

She said: "We just met beautiful people in Lebanon and Syrian refugees, and so we thought this is a beautiful name and Ohm is a universal sound."