AMELIA'S SPIRIT:  HILARY SWANK
Amelia Earhart became a larger-than-life celebrity not only because of what she did - although her record-breaking flights in an age when flying over oceans certainly grabbed international headlines -- but because of who she was.  It was her spunk, smarts, can-do optimism, coolness under pressure and unflagging tenacity that defined a vivid new picture of the American woman, indeed of a nation emerging from the Great Depression.  Tall and slim with short, windswept hair, the very image of her became synonymous with the soaring ideals of adventure, belief and accomplishment, all accompanied by sweetness and joie de vivre. 
It went without saying that any actress willing to take on the role of Amelia would have to bring all of these qualities to the table - and one woman seemed, from the get-go, to be a dead-on match with the fearless, freedom-loving vagabond of the air: Hilary Swank. 
Having garnered two Academy Awards for transformative roles in BOYS DON'T CRY and MILLION DOLLAR BABY, Swank is no stranger at going to great depths for her roles.  But she also possessed something more than just the technical skills and physical attributes to play Earhart. "What's most extraordinary about Hilary is that she masters all the outward stuff, but then she does something more and communicates the inner workings of Amelia - her humility, her self-effacing goofiness, her sort of unexpected girlishness," states Nair.  "Hilary is a spiritual actor -she really acts from within - and she took great joy in finding Amelia in every way, spending close to a month just getting the look right. The hair, the walk, and especially the speech - her performance was very particular and very deeply Amelia."
Swank also stunned the director with her talent for flying - and daring deeds.  "Hilary is an intuitive daredevil," observes Nair.  "She loves the roller-coaster of life.  She would happily jump out in a parachute and come down just like Amelia, with legs swinging wildly!" 
For Swank, the role was irresistible.  "Amelia was such a trailblazer and I think we have Amelia to thank for girls today feeling like it's OK to follow a dream," she says.  "She had a quality that I admire:  the drive to follow her heart, no matter what, even in a man's world.  What I think the movie shows is that she lived life on her own terms, she believed in having fun and doing what you love and also in helping other people, and she accomplished a lot because of all of that." 
Yet, Swank also knew the role was a risk.  "There's not a lot of liberty you can take with a character like Amelia, because she is such an icon and we have seen so many images of her that they are almost burned into our psyches," she admits.  "I think the challenge for me was to just fully commit to what I believed she was like."
Part of that commitment meant taking to the skies, and as Swank began flying lessons, she had an eye-opening, personal insight into what drew Amelia towards the heavens.  "I realized that she loved flying because she loved feeling free of the constraints she felt on the ground," the actress muses.  "I think she also loved being able to see the world - and you have to understand in those days very few people had that chance - and experiencing new cultures.  Most of all, she was driven by the promise of always trying something new.  That's why she was always going after a new record or heading to a new place, and that's something I could relate to." 
She soon discovered how much Amelia has meant to today's thousands of women pilots.  "Almost every female pilot I met said Amelia was an inspiration to her," Swank offers.  "Amelia would have loved that and she would have really loved to see that women are now flying commercial planes across the Atlantic." 
Swank was also moved by the central romance of AMELIA - the relationship between Earhart and her husband, the public relations vanguard, George P. Putnam, who kept Amelia's flights financed via a constant spate of public appearances, advertisements and sponsorships.  "I think they have a beautiful love story because George really did everything he could to see Amelia's dreams through," she explains.  "I think she understood that this was a part of her job, a part of being able to fly."
She also admired Amelia's brutal honesty with George.  "He asked her to marry him many times and she always told him that she didn't want to be held to the conventional restraints of a marriage, which was so ahead of its time," Swank says.  "But at the same time, she also expressed a great deal of love for him."
Working with Richard Gere in the role brought all the tenderness and conflict of their relationship to the fore.  "Richard is an old soul who walks around with his heart on his sleeve, and I think those are also the characteristics of George Putnam," she observes. 
Once Amelia and George did marry, biographers believe that Earhart carried on an affair with the aviator Gene Vidal, who would, with Amelia's support, soon join the Roosevelt administration as head of the brand new Bureau of Air Commerce.  Swank says it was easy to understand the attraction between them.  "With Gene, she had this shared passion, they both loved to fly and both wanted to advance the business of aviation in America  and they saw the world in a similar way because of that," she explains.  "Ewan brought a richness to the character that made him the complete opposite of Richard.  Both men were an embodiment of what Amelia wanted in life, and yet they were so different." 
For Swank, the international production filled with flights both real and simulated was a non-stop adventure, but throughout, she says she had another heroine, aside from Amelia, keeping her grounded:  Mira Nair.  "I think Mira is a kindred spirit of Amelia," Swank concludes.  "She's a force of nature, a very strong woman who doesn't apologize for being strong.  It's wonderful to see a woman command respect the way she does and have such a clear vision.  It's a breath of fresh air." 

AMELIA'S LOVES
The whole world fell in love with Amelia Earhart, but her relationships with two men in particular would help to further her career and drive her fame.  The first was the man who helped to forge her public image and would become her husband:  George Palmer Putnam.  Born to the founder of the publishing house G.P Putnam's Sons, George led his own life of adventure before he met Amelia.  He studied at Harvard, led National Geographic expeditions, served as the Mayor of Bend, Oregon and managed several newspapers, then took over the family publishing business with a bang:  releasing Charles Lindbergh's autobiography We.  It was in 1928, while looking for a woman to become the first to fly across the Atlantic, that George met a then unknown Amelia Earhart.  They were married in 1931, by which time she was already one of the most famous people in the world. 
Golden Globe winner Richard Gere found Putnam a fascinating historical personality.  "He was one of those controversial characters a lot of people disliked, but Amelia didn't.  She obviously loved this guy and that interested me," he explains.  "I wanted to know more about their bond.  What did they see in each other in their private lives that maybe nobody else could see?  What made them fit together?  They were two very self-directed, strong, focused people and one of the quirks of fate is that they happened to run into each other at just the right time."
Gere was also intrigued by the way Putnam seemed to intuit how Earhart's personality could take on a life of its own - becoming the tool that would finance her record-setting flights and keep the public always wanting to see and know more about her.  "There was a kind of Barnum & Bailey aspect to him, the way he plucked Amelia from obscurity and came up with this whole 'Lady Lindy' image," he says.  "There were other women flyers who may have been better or more beautiful, but I think what George saw in Amelia was that she was so genuine in her love of flying  and so approachable, that she would be embraced as a role model for all women." 
Mira Nair says that she saw a new quality emerging in Gere in the role of George.  "Of course Richard always has great charisma," she observes, "but I think he also now exudes a real sense of calm and authority which was a great match for this role.  He gave a very meditative type of performance - and there was a palpable chemistry that emerged between him and Hilary." 
Once on the set, the highlight for Gere became working with Swank.  "She's so perfect for this part because her instincts are the same as Amelia's - it's just natural for her to take risks and avoid clichés.  She also has that basic trustworthiness, that way of saying 'I might be a little goofy, but that's me.'" 
That helped in recreating the unique link that Amelia and George shared, no matter how unconventional their marriage.  Says Gere: "The scenes between us have a subtle, emotional vibration.  These were two people who were trying to be the best they could but still sometimes hurt each other." 
Some of that hurt emerged from Amelia's free spirit, which she warned George about openly before marrying him.  Nevertheless, her close relationship with the pilot Gene Vidal, with whom she would found Northeastern Airlines, further complicated their marriage.
Vidal was another intriguing early 20^th century character.  Now best known as the father of famed writer Gore Vidal, Gene taught Aeronautics at West Point, founded three American airlines and served as the Director of the Bureau of Air Commerce from 1933-1937.  To play him, Nair chose Ewan McGregor, the Scottish actor known for a diversity of roles, ranging from the gritty indie hit TRAINSPOTTING to Obi Wan-Kanobi in the STAR WARS prequels. "Ewan is so dashing," says Nair.  "He exudes that kind of cool Cary Grant grace and formality that you don't see anymore, yet at the same he's very hip and modern, which is what we wanted for Gene Vidal." 
McGregor says the first thing that drew him to AMELIA was the chance to act with Swank.  "I've wanted to work with her since BOY'S DON'T CRY," he says.  "Her work is passionate, detailed and committed.  I've always liked working that way myself, so I knew it would be great fun."
But once he took on the role of Vidal, he also became compelled by the challenges of the character. "It was an interesting task to try to create this relationship on screen that is quite ambiguous.  It's understood that Gene and Amelia had some kind of a love affair, but the details are unknown," he explains.  "In the film, it becomes a kind of unspoken love triangle, where nobody is quite talking about what's going on, which I found really fascinating." 
As much as he was anticipating working with Swank, McGregor says he still was taken aback by her.  "It seemed that Amelia was alive and well and living inside Hilary Swank," he notes.  "The way Hilary plays her, you get a sense of how extraordinary she was.  I realize that my daughters are living a life of freedom and opportunity because of women like Amelia." 
Rounding out the main cast is another man who figured prominently in Amelia's story:  the talented aerial navigator, Fred Noonan, who would disappear with Amelia over the Western Pacific.  Having made his reputation navigating the pioneering "Manila Clipper" transatlantic route for Pan American Airlines, Noonan had impeccable credentials, yet was also known as a heavy drinker, a contradiction brought to light in the performance by the English actor Christopher Eccleston. 
"I've adored Chris Eccleston since his first roles in JUDE and SHALLOW GRAVE and I think he's one of the most extraordinary actors," says Nair.  "He looks blindingly like Fred Noonan and has sex appeal, but most of all Chris just has an absolute natural ease with the camera and with himself.  He's very earthy and independent, yet without ego, as Fred was. Fred had all sides to him: he was both a hard drinker and the best navigator in the world - and Chris nailed that contrast. I think the scenes with Fred and Amelia at the end of the film are truly moving and memorable." 

HILARY SWANK (Amelia Earhart, Executive Producer), two-time Academy Award winning actress, has graced some of this decades most fascinating films.  An actress as well as a producer, Swank is involved with several highly anticipated projects.  She recently wrapped filming the feature BETTY ANNE WATERS, based on the true story of a working mother who puts herself through law school to free her wrongfully convicted brother who is serving a life sentence.  Set for release in late 2009, Hilary stars alongside Sam Rockwell and Minnie Driver.  Hilary is currently shooting the 2010 thriller, THE RESIDENT about a doctor that suspects she may not be alone in her Brooklyn loft, and learns that her landlord has formed a frightening obsession with her.
In 2008, Hilary and producer Molly Smith launched the production company 2S FILMS and inked a two-year first-look pact with Warner-based Alcon Entertainment.  Projects in the works include FRENCH WOMEN DON'T GET FAT based on the 2004 bestseller by Mireille Guiliano, a romantic comedy about a young, single woman living in New York who learns some tough life lessons about truly loving yourself and SWEET & VICIOUS a light- hearted comedy about female friendship and the pitfalls of success, currently both films are out to directors.  Other projects in development are YOU'RE NOT YOU based on a novel by Michelle Wildgen, about a woman suffering from a terminal illness and an aimless young woman who enters her life as a caregiver.  Also in development is "FALLING OUT OF FASHION" based on the debut novel by Karen Yampolsky, which centers on a woman who leaves a Georgia hippie commune for New York City with dreams of becoming a magazine editor, and SOMETHING BORROWED based on the debut novel from author Emily Giffin, about a woman who falls for her best friends fiancé. 
In 2007, Hilary starred in two films which showcased her range in talent both from director Richard LaGravense.  First in the drama, FREEDOM WRITERS, opposite Patrick Dempsey, based on the inspirational true story of school teacher Erin Gruwell, followed by her starring role in the romantic comedy P.S. I LOVE YOU, opposite Gerard Butler and Kathy Bates.
Swank has won two Best Actress Academy Awards, an extremely rare accomplishment and testament to her talent.  She won her first Oscar for the role of Brandon Teena in the 1999 drama BOYS DON'T CRY.  She also won a Golden Globe, Critics' Choice, New York Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics, and National Society of Film Critics Award for her portrayal of Brandon.  Additionally, the National Board of Review recognized Swank's work with the Breakthrough Performance of the Year Award, and she earned BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations.
In 2005, Swank won her second Academy Award for her starring role as boxer Maggie Fitzgerald in Clint Eastwood's Oscar-winning Best Picture, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, opposite Eastwood and Morgan Freeman.  In addition to her Oscar, Hilary won her second Golden Globe as well as a SAG Award, National Society of Film Critics Award and Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Maggie.  That same year, Hilary earned Golden Globe and SAG nominations for her portrayal of suffragette Alice Paul in the HBO movie IRON JAWED ANGELS.
Swank's other film credits include Brian De Palma's real-life crime drama THE BLACK DAHLIA, opposite John Hartnett and Scarlett Johansson, THE AFFAIR OF THE NECKLACE, opposite Adrien Brody, Sam Raimi's THE GIFT, with Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves, Christopher Nolan's INSOMNIA, opposite Al Pacino and Robin Williams, THE REAPING, as well as THE NEXT KARATE KID and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.  Hilary's television credits include "Beverly Hills 90210," "Growing Pains" and "Evening Shade."

Humanitarian, actor, and Golden Globe winner, RICHARD GERE (George Putnam) is known for his roles in such films as CHICAGO, UNFAITHFUL, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, DAYS OF HEAVEN, AMERICAN GIGOLO, PRETTY WOMAN and PRIMAL FEAR.  Gere recently wrapped production on BROOKLYN'S FINEST, alongside Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke, which chronicles the lives of three Brooklyn cops who find their worlds intersecting when they all arrive at the same fatal location.
In 2008, Gere reunited with Diane Lane for NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks. In the fall of 2007, Gere was seen in the critically acclaimed film I'M NOT THERE; a film that provides a view into the life and songs of the legendary Bob Dylan with a cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger. Additionally in 2007, Gere graced the screen in several other releases.  First, he starred in Lasse Hallström's critically acclaimed film THE HOAX, based on the true story of Clifford Irving (Gere) who sells his bogus biography of Howard Hughes to a premiere publishing house in the early 1970s. Later he appeared in THE HUNTING PARTY, a film that tells the story of two journalists that head to post-war Bosnia on an unauthorized mission.
In 2004 Gere teamed up with, Susan Sarandon and Jennifer Lopez to in the romantic comedy SHALL WE DANCE and in 2005, Gere was seen in BEE SEASON. 
Christmas of 2002 Gere sang and danced his way onto the big screen in the Academy Award® winning film adaptation of CHICAGO, playing the infamous lawyer Billy Flynn.  In January of 2003, Gere won his first Golden Globe Award as Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his performance in CHICAGO.
In 2001 Gere was seen in the critically acclaimed UNFAITHFUL, directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez.  Earlier that year Gere was seen playing a reporter drawn to a small West Virginia town to investigate a series of strange events in Sony Picture's psychological thriller MOTHMAN PROPHECIES opposite Debra Messing. 
Born in Philadelphia, Richard Gere showed his artist ability at a young age, by playing a number of instruments and writing music for high school productions.   Gere won gymnastics scholarship to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where he was philosophy major.  While at school, Gere caught the acting bug and left college after 2 years to pursue acting, landing a lead role of 'Danny Zuko' in the London production of the rock musical Grease in 1973.   After spending full sessions with the Provincetown Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, he performed in a number of New York play's, notably the title role in Richard Farina: Long Time Coming and Long Time Gone, in addition to two plays by Sam Shepard, Back Bog Beast Bait and Killers Head. 
His career was established with performances in the Broadway rock opera Soon and the New York production of the British farce Habeus Corpus.   Gere's other theatre credits include the Lincoln Center presentation of A Midsummer Nights Dream and London Young Vic Theatre Production of The Taming Of The Shrew.  Gere returned to the Broadway stage in 1980 with Bent, winning the Theatre World Award for his portrayal as a homosexual concentration-camp prisoner.
Gere's motion picture debut came in 1978 with Oscar-honored DAYS OF HEAVEN, for which he received the Italian equivalent of the Academy Award.  His subsequent films include LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, BLOOD BROTHERS, John Schlesinger's YANKS and AMERICAN GIGOLO.  His next film was the 1982 blockbuster AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, followed by BREATHLESS, BEYOND THE LIMIT, THE COTTON CLUB, POWER, NO MERCY and MILES FROM HOME.
In 1990, Gere received Box-office acclaim for his portrayal of a corrupt cop in INTERNAL AFFAIRS. The following year, he made a guest appearance in Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's RHAPSODY IN AUGUST.  Additional film credits include the MGM political thriller Red Corner, vnet and in Micael Caton-Jones remake of THE JACKAL for Universal Pictures. 
Gere was also the first actor to agree to appear in AND THE BAND PLAYED ON, the HBO adaptation of Randy Shilts book about the first five years of AIDS in America.  Gere played the role of a fictional choreographer. In 2000 Gere starred in the box-office hit RUNAWAY BRIDE, and, also in 2000, Gere stared as a Dallas gynecologist who is surrounded by adoring women in DR. T AND THE WOMEN directed by Robert Altman.
Off screen, Gere is an accomplished pianist and music writer.  He is also actively involved in developing projects and has executive produced FINAL ANALYSIS, MR. JONES and SOMMERSBY.
a student and friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Gere, for over twenty years, has made numerous journeys throughout India, Nepal, Zanskar and Tibet, Mongolia and China.  He is an accomplished photographer who has worked extensively within these regions.  His first book, PILGRIM, published in 1997 by Little, Brown and Company, is a collection of images that represent his twenty-five year journey into Buddhism.  With a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the book is Gere's personal vision of this ancient and spiritual world. 
An outspoken human rights advocate, Gere has done much to draw attention to the tragedy that has been unfolding in Tibet under Chinese occupation.  He is the founder of the Gere Foundation, which contributes to numerous health education and human rights projects and is especially dedicated to promoting awareness of Tibet and her endangered culture.  The Foundation contributes directly to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan community-in-exile and to aid in the cultural survival of the Tibetan people.  In 1987 Gere was the founding chairman of the Tibet House in New York.  After leaving Tibet House in New York in 1991, he became an active member of the Board of Directors of the International Campaign for Tibet based in Washington D.C., and in 1996 became Chairman.  Gere has testified on Tibet's behalf before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Congressional Human Rights Caucus, the European Parliament, and House International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee.
Gere currently lives in New York with his wife Carey Lowell and their son Homer.
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