Charlize Theron Biography

Charlize Theron is a Hollywood actress best known for her award winning role in the film ‘Monster’. This biography of Charlize Theron provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Quick Facts

Birthday: August 7, 1975

Nationality: American, South African

Famous: Quotes By Charlize Theron School Dropouts

Age: 43 Years, 43 Year Old Females

Sun Sign: Leo

Born Country: South Africa

Born in: Benoni, Gauteng

Height: 5'10" (178 cm), 5'10" Females

Family:

father: Charles

mother: Gerda Maritz

children: Jackson (adopted Mar-2012)

Ideology: Democrats

Personality: ENTJ

More Facts

education: The National School of the Arts - Johannesburg - South Africa

Continue Reading Below

Recommended For You

Identify Singers By Eyes

Charlize Theron is an academy award wining actress who is as much appreciated for her acting skills as she is admired for her glowing beauty. She is best known for her roles in the movies ‘The Devil’s Advocate’, ‘The Cider House Rules’, and the critically acclaimed ‘Monster’. She is very dedicated to her profession and never gives second thoughts to dropping her glamorous image for a role that requires her to look ugly or unkempt. Despite being one of the most beautiful Hollywood actresses she gladly took on the unglamorous role of playing a serial killer in the movie ‘Monster’ which won her several awards and accolades including the Academy Award for Best Actress. Success did not come easily to this talented woman. Born in South Africa, she endured a difficult childhood; her drunkard father was shot at and killed by her mother in self-defence. In spite of all the difficulties, her mother encouraged her to move to the United States and pursue her dreams of becoming an actress. She met a talent agent in a quirky incident at a bank, and soon landed a small role in a film. Eventually she started getting bigger roles and rose to prominence during the late 1990s with films that were big hits at the box office.

Image Credit

Recommended Lists:

Actresses

American Women

Continue Reading Below

Charlize Theron

Image Credit

Childhood & Early Life

She was the only child of Gerda and Charles Theron, and grew up in South Africa. She is of mixed ancestry.
Her father, an abusive alcoholic, physically attacked her mother who shot and killed him in self defence.
She attended the Putfontein Primary School and later went to the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg. She is fluent in both Afrikaans and English.
From a young age she was artistically inclined and loved to dance. She won a modeling contract as a teenager and moved to Italy with her mother. She modeled throughout Europe for a year.
Her first love was dancing and she enrolled at the Joffrey Ballet School to train as a ballet dancer. However a knee injury forced her to abandon this plan. Her mother encouraged her to pursue an acting career instead.
Continue Reading Below

Recommended Lists:

South African Women

Leo Actresses

American Actresses

Actresses Who Are In Their 40s

Top

Career

She went to Los Angeles to try for a career in acting when she was 19 years old. By chance she met a talent agent, John Crosby, in a Hollywood Boulevard bank. He introduced her to casting agents.
She landed her first film role in 1995. It was a non-speaking role in the direct-to-video film, ‘Children of the Corn III’. She got to play her first speaking role the next year in ‘2 Days in the Valley’ in 1996.
In 1997, she starred in the mystery thriller, ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ which was based on Andrew Neiderman’s novel of the same name. The film also had Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves in leading roles.
She played Candy Kendall in the film adaptation of ‘The Cider House Rules’ in 1999. The film received mainly positive reviews and won two Academy Awards.
She paired up with Keanu Reeves once again in ‘Sweet November’ (2001), a romantic drama. The story revolves around a terminally ill woman and a man who falls desperately in love with her.
In one of her best known roles, she played the serial killer Aileen Wuornos a former prostitute turned murderer, in the 2003 crime film ‘Monster’. Her role was critically acclaimed and earned her several awards.
She portrayed Britt Ekland in the 2004 film ‘The Life and Death of Peter Sellers’ which was a movie about the life of the English comedian Peter sellers. It was directed by Stephen Hopkins.
Continue Reading Below
In 2005, she played the protagonist, Josey Aimes in the drama film, ‘North Country’. She portrayed the character of a woman who stands up against the rampant sexual harassment in the mine she works. Her role was nominated for an Academy Award.
She produced and starred in ‘Sleepwalking’, a 2008 dramatic film that revolves around the relationship between a 30 year old man and his 12 year old niece after she is abandoned by her mother.
In 2009, she played Sylvia in the drama film ‘The Burning Plain’ directed by Guillermo Arriaga. The film has a multipart story woven together in a non-linear narrative.
She appeared in the fantasy and adventure film, ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’, which was released in 2012. The film was a huge commercial success though it received mixed critical reviews.

Recommended Lists:

South African Actresses

Women Film & Theater Personalities

American Film & Theater Personalities

South African Film & Theater Personalities

Top

Major Works

She is best known for portraying the serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the crime thriller ‘Monster’. The beautiful actress ditched her glamorous looks for playing the criminal in a very convincing portrayal of the cold blooded Wuornos.

Recommended Lists:

American Female Film & Theater Personalities

Leo Women

Top

Awards & Achievements

She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Aileen Wuornos in the film ‘Monster’ in 2003. She also won the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for the Best Actress in a leading role for the same.

Top

Personal Life & Legacy

She is mother to a son, Jackson, who she adopted in 2010.
She had been in relationships with Craig Bierko, Stephen Jenkins, and Stuart Townsend in the past.
She is involved with various charities. She created the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) in 2007 to help African youth in their fight against HIV/AIDS.

Top

Charlize Theron Movies