Charlize Theron is an actress who is both beautiful and talented. She was born in Benoni in South Africa on 7 August, 1975. Tragedy struck early in her life when her father was shot dead by her mother in self-defence. Theron managed to put the tragedy behind her and, at sixteen, she won a modelling contract and travelled to Milan and New York for her work. In New York, she decided to join the Joffrey Ballet School, but didn’t stay there long because of a knee injury.
Theron decided to try her luck in films and went to Los Angeles on a one-way ticket. She got her break in the strangest possible way. She was cashing a cheque in a bank, but was having trouble because it wasn’t a local cheque. While she was arguing, an agent behind her handed her his card, asking if she would be willing to act.
Theron was determined to fit in and learned the English language from watching soap operas. She managed to get a role quite soon, though an insignificant one. A bigger role came along in 2 Days in the Valley (1996). Tom Hanks noticed her and offered her the role of Tina in That Thing You Do! (1996) and she carried out the part with finesse. She still thanks Hanks for that chance.
Theron continued getting good offers like the The Devil’s Advocate (1997), Mighty Joe Young (1998), The Cider House Rules (1999), The Italian Job (2003) and The Astronaut’s Wife (1999) with Johnny Depp. She also rejected Pearl Harbour in favour of Sweet November (2001) with Keanu Reeves. Her other films include Reindeer Games (2000), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), 24 and Waking Up in Reno (2004).
Playing the serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, in Monster (2003) has been her biggest challenge. She had to put on almost thirty pounds in the film and had to shoot with no make-up at all. Her efforts in the film did not go waste; the role won her an Oscar for Best Actress for the first time. She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in North Country (2005) and a Golden Globe and Emmy for Best Actress for a HBO movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.
Theron is very vocal about the issues close to her heart. She is an active member of PETA and their anti-fur campaign. She is also involved in women’s right activities. Currently she lives with her boyfriend Stuart Townsend who worked with her in Head in the Clouds (2004) and Trapped (2002).
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