Alaska Daily Tells a 'Story That Matters' The Talks Today

Posted by Florance Siggers on Tuesday, May 7, 2024

On Alaska Daily, Hilary Swank portrays Eileen Fitzgerald, a journalist looking for a new start. During the series’ first episode, viewers are introduced to the seasoned journalist as she works at a large newsroom called The Vanguard. After publishing a story that leads to lawsuit threats, Eileen’s behavior and article are questioned by her editor. The situation does not end well, and Eileen is soon unemployed after resigning from her position.

Months later, Eileen is approached by Stanley Cornik (Jeff Perry), a former boss who offers her a position at Alaska Daily. She is not interested, viewing working at a local paper as a step back. When Stanley shows Eileen a pile of pictures of missing Indigenous women, Eileen changes her mind and aggress to take the position. In reality, Swank was drawn to the project for the same reason her character makes the move. In an interview with Collider, Swank said:

“This one, for me, was first and foremost about the fact that the story dealt with these missing and murdered Indigenous women. It is of the utmost importance and it’s a story that matters. I’d like to see it get out there and get more eyes on it and get people talking about it. And then, this woman is a truth seeker. She’s an advocate. She wants to see that justice prevails. All of those things are very beautiful to me. I like that she doesn’t suffer fools. We usually see men in these roles, so it’s really nice to have something that I can step into that’s just brave.”

Although Alaska Daily is a fictional paper, the show was inspired by Lawless, a series of articles published by The Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica while investigating sexual violence in Alaska.

The series also stars Grace Dove (reporter Rosalind “Roz” Friendly), Matt Malloy (acting news editor Bob Young), Meredith Holzman (reporter Claire Muncy), Ami Park (reporter Yuna Park), Craig Frank (reporter Austin Teague) and Pablo Castelblanco (intern Gabriel Tovar). Alaska Daily was created by Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) and showrunner/executive producer Peter Elkoff. It airs on ABC Thursday nights, and is available to stream on Hulu.

Related: Best Hilary Swank Movies, Ranked

Swank’s Illustrious Career

Throughout her celebrated career, Swank has often portrayed strong-willed women. It seems that Eileen fits right into that mold, something Swank appreciates. While describing her character, she later told Collider:

“It’s in her bones to investigate the truth. She is a truth seeker, and she demands that from people. As we evolve, I just find that deeply inspiring. I think the world, and especially our country right now, is tired of being hoodwinked. There’s no more space for that. That’s gonna be something that people appreciate as well.”

Hilary Swank made her film debut on the 1992 comedy horror Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her breakout role came two years later, when she appeared as Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid. She appeared on the eighth season of Beverly Hills, 90210, before appearing in Boys Don’t Cry (1999) and Million Dollar Baby (2004). Her performances in both film earned the actress multiple awards, including two Academy Awards. She later appeared in The Gift, Freedom Writers, Black Dahlia, Logan Lucky, and The Hunt, among others. She has also served as a producer on multiple films.

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