Charlize Theron Biography

(The First South African to Win an Oscar in Acting)

Birthday: August 7, 1975 (Leo)

Born In: Benoni, South Africa

Charlize Theron is an Academy-Award-winning 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-defense. 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.

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Quick Facts

Age: 49 Years, 49 Year Old Females

Family:

father: Charles Theron

mother: Gerda Maritz

children: August Theron, Jackson Theron

Partner: Craig Bierko (1995–1997), Sean Penn (2013–2015), Stephan Jenkins (1998–2001), Stuart Townsend (2002–2009)

Born Country: South Africa

Actresses South African Women

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

Ancestry: French American, German American, Dutch American, South African American

  • 1

    What movies has Charlize Theron starred in?

    Charlize Theron has starred in movies such as "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Monster," "Atomic Blonde," "The Old Guard," and "Young Adult."
  • 2

    Is Charlize Theron a natural blonde?

    No, Charlize Theron is not a natural blonde. She is originally a brunette but often dyes her hair blonde for roles and personal preference.
  • 3

    Does Charlize Theron have any tattoos?

    Yes, Charlize Theron has a tattoo on her right ankle. It is a small fish design that she got when she was 16 years old.
  • 4

    Has Charlize Theron done any voice acting in animated films?

    Yes, Charlize Theron has done voice acting in animated films. She voiced characters in movies like "Kubo and the Two Strings" and "Astro Boy."
  • 5

    Does Charlize Theron have any special talents besides acting?

    Charlize Theron is skilled in ballet and even trained as a ballet dancer before pursuing a career in acting.
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-defense.

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.

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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.

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.

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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. That same year, she also portrayed ‘Meredith Vickers’ in the science fiction horror film ‘Prometheus’ directed by Ridley Scott. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and grossed over $403.4 million on a $120–130 million budget.

She was next seen in films like ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’ (2014), ‘Dark Places’ (2015), ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015), ‘The Huntsman: Winter's War’ (2016), ‘The Last Face’ (2016), and ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ (2016).

In 2017, she starred as ‘Lorraine Broughton’ in the American action thriller film ‘Atomic Blonde’ directed by David Leitch. The film opened to a positive reception and grossed over $100 million at the box office. That same year, she also portrayed ‘Cipher’ in the F. Gary Gray-directed American action film ‘The Fate of the Furious.’ The film received mixed to positive reviews and was a massive commercial success, grossing over $1.236 billion on a budget of $250–270 million.

She continued to star in films such as ‘Tully’ (2018), ‘Gringo’ (2018), ‘Long Shot’ (2019), ‘The Addams Family’ (2019), ‘Bombshell’ (2019), ‘The Old Guard’ (2020), ‘F9’ (2021), ‘The Addams Family 2’ (2021), ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ (2022), and ‘The School for Good and Evil’ (2022). In 2023, she reprised her role as ‘Cipher’ in the American action film and the eleventh installment overall in the Fast & Furious franchise, ‘Fast X.’ The film received a mixed response from critics, earning a 54% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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.

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 Best Actress in a leading role for the same.

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Personal Life & Legacy

She is a mother to a daughter, Jackson, who she adopted in 2012. She adopted another daughter named August in 2015.

She had been in relationships with Craig Bierko, Stephen Jenkins, Stuart Townsend, and Sean Penn 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.

Facts About Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a trained ballet dancer and even received a scholarship to study at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City before pursuing a career in acting.
She is fluent in multiple languages, including Afrikaans, English, and French, showcasing her diverse linguistic abilities.
Theron is an avid supporter of animal rights and has worked with organizations like PETA to raise awareness about animal welfare issues.
Charlize Theron is also a dedicated advocate for LGBTQ rights and has been a vocal supporter of the community for many years.
In addition to her successful acting career, Theron is also a successful film producer, having produced several acclaimed films through her production company, Denver and Delilah Productions.

Charlize Theron Movies

1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

  (Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Thriller)

2. Monster (2003)

  (Thriller, Drama, Biography, Crime)

3. The Devil's Advocate (1997)

  (Thriller, Drama, Mystery)

4. Atomic Blonde (2017)

  (Action, Thriller, Mystery)

5. North Country (2005)

  (Drama)

6. The Italian Job (2003)

  (Crime, Action, Thriller)

7. The Cider House Rules (1999)

  (Drama, Romance)

8. In the Valley of Elah (2007)

  (Crime, Mystery, Drama, Thriller)

9. The Road (2009)

  (Adventure, Drama)

10. Men of Honor (2000)

  (Drama, Biography)

Awards

Academy Awards(Oscars)
2004 Best Actress in a Leading Role Monster (2003)
Golden Globe Awards
2004 Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama Monster (2003)
MTV Movie & TV Awards
2016 Best Female Performance Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

See the events in life of Charlize Theron in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Charlize Theron Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/charlize-theron-4252.php

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