Charlize Theron

Theron was born on the 7th of August 1975, and grew up on a farm outside of Benoni, a town some 25 kilometers east of Johannesburg, South Africa. She was named after her father, Charles, who was of French descent.  Her mother Gerda hailed from Germany though both her parents were Afrikaans,... More

Theron was born on the 7th of August 1975, and grew up on a farm outside of Benoni, a town some 25 kilometers east of Johannesburg, South Africa. She was named after her father, Charles, who was of French descent.  Her mother Gerda hailed from Germany though both her parents were Afrikaans, born and raised in South Africa. Afrikaans would be Charlize's first language, English her second, and she'd pick up smatterings from the 26 ethnic groups that provided workers for the farm and the road construction business run by her mother.

At the age of sixteen, Theron traveled to Milan, Italy, on a one-year modeling contract, after winning a local competition. Her contract ended while she was in New York City, and she decided to remain there, attending the Joffrey Ballet School, where she trained as a ballet dancer. A knee injury closed this career path when she was 18 at which time she chose to move to Los Angeles, California.

After eight months in the Los Angeles, she was cast in her first film part, a non-speaking role in the direct-to-video film “Children of the Corn III.” She followed this with larger roles in widely released Hollywood films, and her career skyrocketed in the late 1990s, with box office successes “The Devil's Advocate,” “The Cider House Rules,” and “Mighty Joe Young.”

The May 1999 issue of “Playboy” published nude photos of Theron, taken during the early years of her modeling career. Claiming they had been “for private use,” Theron ended up suing photographer Guido Argentini.

After appearing in a few notable films, Theron starred as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film “Monster” (2003). Film critic Roger Ebert called it “one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema,” and Theron went on to win the Best Actress Oscar at the 76th Academy Awards in February 2004, as well as the SAG Award and the Golden Globe Award for the role. She is the first South African to win an Oscar for Best Actress.

Having signed a deal with John Galliano in 2004, she is now the current spokeswoman for Dior perfume. On September 30, 2005, she received her own bronze star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Additionally, she received Best Actress Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for her lead performance in the drama “North Country.” Ms. Magazine honored her for this performance as well with a feature article in its Fall 2005 issue. She also received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her role in the HBO movie “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.”

In 2005, Theron also portrayed Rita, Michael Bluth's (Jason Bateman) love interest on the third season of FOX's critically acclaimed sitcom “Arrested Development.”