Dominique Swain

Dominique Swain (born August 12, 1980) is an American actress. She first came to attention as the title character in Adrian Lyne's 1997 adaptation of Lolita, alongside a supporting role in John Woo's Face/Off also released in the same year. She worked predominantly in independent cinema throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s with credits including Girl, The Intern (2000), Tart (2001), and Pumpkin (2002). Next she was in Alpha Dog (2006), Road to Nowhere (2010), and a succession of films in the action, thriller, and horror genres.

Early life Swain attended Malibu High School in Malibu, California. Her parents separated when she was 15. She has three siblings including actress Chelse Swain.

Career 1997–1999: Film debut and critical acclaim In 1995, at the age of 15, Swain was chosen from 2,500 girls to play the title role of Dolores "Lolita" Haze in Adrian Lyne's controversial screen adaptation of the 1955 novel, Lolita. and Caryn James of The New York Times writing that Swain's performance was "extraordinary," adding:

Also in 1997, Swain appeared as John Travolta's rebellious teenage daughter, Jamie, in John Woo's commercially successful action thriller Face/Off, with a positive review from Entertainment Weekly highlighting her chemistry with Travolta. Next, she headlined the 1998 drama Girl, in which she portrayed a high-schooler determined to lose her virginity. Writing for Variety, critic David Stratton called it a "well-cast, modestly effective pic" with "a bright, intelligent performance" by Swain.

Speaking of finding it hard to secure roles in the wake of Lolita, a matter she attributed to typecasting, Swain later commented, "I turned down stuff specifically because of nudity, because it doesn't take a whole lot of class to yank your clothes off... I had a body double in Lolita [so] I think the goal was 'Let's see what she really looks like.' They were sending me scripts with no substance to them." In 2006, she starred as aspiring dancer Lori Gunderson in Totally Awesome, a parody of 1980s teen movies. She played the supporting role of Susan Hartunian in Alpha Dog, the closing night film at 2006's Sundance Film Festival. A crime drama based on the murder of Nicholas Markowitz, Swain's character was inspired by Natasha Adams-Young, a key figure in the real case who was granted legal immunity in exchange for her testimony in court.

2007–present: Genre films and television work

In 2007, Swain headlined the supernatural horror film Dead Mary, which Fangoria felt was successful in setting itself apart from other entries in the genre. Her performance in the 2010 thriller Road to Nowhere was lauded, which Kevin Thomas described as a "stylish, shimmering neo-noir" in his review for the Los Angeles Times.

After lead roles in the straight-to-video action films The Girl from the Naked Eye, Nazis at the Center of the Earth, Skin Traffik, and Sharkansas Women's Prison Massacre, Swain starred in the 2016 thriller The Wrong Roommate; her first of several appearances in The Wrong... series, an anthological group of Lifetime television films.

Campaign In 2001, at the age of 21, Swain posed nude for PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked than Wear Fur" campaign.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos +Music video work by Dominique Swain Year Title Artist 1998 "Lullaby" Shawn Mullins 2002 "We Are All Made of Stars" Moby 2004 "Rapid Hope Loss" Dashboard Confessional 2007 "Rockstar" Nickelback

Accolades

+Accolades for Dominique Swain Year Ceremony Category Work Result 1998 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Younger Actress Face/Off 1999 Chicago Film Critics Association Most Promising Actress Lolita MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss (with Jeremy Irons) Lolita Young Artist Awards Best Performance – Leading Young Actress Lolita YoungStar Awards Best Young Actress Lolita 2003 DVD Exclusive Awards Best Actress Tart 2007San Diego Film FestivalRising Star The Pacific and Eddy Silver Lake Film Festival Best Actress The Pacific and Eddy 2013 Downbeach Film Festival Lifesaver Achievement Award 2019 Hoboken International Film Festival Best Supporting Actress The Last Big Save