Hilary Swank Credits Dad As Her 'Guiding Light' In 75th Posthumous Birthday Tribute

Hilary Swank has remembered her late father, Stephen Michael Swank.

The actress shared a heart-wrenching update with her 1.5 million followers on what would have been her father's 75th birthday. She used pictures that showed the similarities between her and the late patriarch and expressed her feelings about his absence in the caption. The update comes shortly after the birth of her twins — a daughter and a son — ahead of their expected due date.

Hilary has undoubtedly had a rollercoaster of a month, welcoming her twins, which she announced via social media just last week. Now, the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star has paid tribute to her father in a moving post featuring multiple throwback images.

In the first slide, the father-daughter duo is seen smelling one flower petal before posing in front of a United States flag, a green field, and the blue skies in the next photo. The third slide was an up-close shot of Stephen's face, while the fourth showed him in a black-and-white snap.

The late Air Force veteran appeared to be having a good time as he sat in front of several potted plants with one leg stretched out. He donned a plain T-shirt with a plunging neckline, jeans, and sneakers. Beneath the pictures, his famous daughter wrote:

"You would be 75 today, and a Great Papa to two more extraordinary souls. I celebrate you everyday and the beautiful grace filled gift you were and continue to be in my life."

The "Sometimes They Come Back... Again" star stated that even though Stephen was "greatly missed by so many," nobody missed him more than she did. The end of her tribute was equally touching as she wrote, "Thank you for being my guiding light. I love you, Dad. Always and forever through every lifetime."

"Beautiful ❤️," actress Viola Davis commented, while actor Tyrese claimed, "I just teared up [.] you loved your father [.] your [sic] so so very special you did everything you could do. Everything... Happy birthday to your beloved father!"

Like celebrities, fans also got a chance to stand with the "Birds of America" actress, with one commenting, "I can just tell your pops was a great man, and it's no doubt you continue to make him proud."

Hilary had worn her heart on her sleeve when she lauded Stephen in a post shared in January 2022. At that time, The Blast noted that she uploaded a selfie of her and the patriarch smiling and looking straight at the camera.

In the accompanying caption, she recalled that she and the Air National Guard veteran's bond grew strong when she became his sole caretaker following his lung transplant seven years ago. The Toronto Film Critics Association Awards winner then acknowledged the unique space that her dad owned in her heart, adding:

"But in this physical loss, as devastating as it is, I was awakened to the truest sense of living again. It helped me better understand the circle of life and where we come from and where we go back to, which has connected me back to my truest self."

Hilary finished by admitting she had learned how to forgive and move past the things that have held her back. The post has earned nearly 90k likes and over 3k comments from several people who could relate to her words.

In October 2022, fans learned that the bond connecting the Satellite Awards winner and her late dad went beyond the normal, especially during her pregnancy. Per The Blast, she disclosed during an episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show" that she expected to welcome her twins on Stephen's birthday. In the words of the teary-eyed star:

"They're due on his birthday. Yeah, I know. It's like…[wow]."

Hilary had announced she was expecting when she joined the hosts of "Good Morning America" to talk about her show "Alaska Daily." This would be the "Logan Lucky" star's first children, sharing them with her husband, Philip Schneider.

After two years of dating, the twosome walked down the aisle in August 2018. The Gold Derby Award nominee was previously married to actor Chad Lowe, with their divorce becoming finalized in November 2007.