Charlize Theron, "Aeon Flux" Catsuit Heroine

Action Heroine Charlize Theron Showed Her Stuff in "Aeon Flux"

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron (born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and fashion model who won a Best Actress Academy Award for "Monster" (2003). She has dual South African and American citizenship, emigrating to the States in her teens.

Born in Benoni, in the then-Transvaal Province of South Africa, Charlize Theron comes from a long line of Afrikaners, and is of French, German, and Dutch descent. Growing up on a farm, Theron lost her father when her mother allegedly shot him to death in self-defense. Charlize's mother was not charged.

Theron won a modelling contract at age 16 and moved to Milan, Italy, the European fashion center. She then moved to New York City to model for a year, and then moved to Los Angeles to break into the film industry.

Charlize Theron in a scene from "Young Adult."

That strategy was wildly successful, as a talent agent soon saw her and introduced her around, though she soon fired him because he was suggesting sleazy roles.

Charlize's first non-speaking role in a film was "Children of the Corn III" (1995), and Charlize's big breakthrough was a sexy supporting role in "2 Days in the Valley" (1996). That latter role was became a major part of the film's advertising campaign, and Theron was on her way.

Charlize Theron in "Æon Flux"

Charlize Theron now is a top movie star. Some of her more prominent roles have been the title character in "Æon Flux," Queen Ravenna in "Snow White and the Huntsman," and Stella Bridger in "The Italian Job."

That, however, only scratches the surface of Charlize Theron's stellar film career. She also has done some prominent modelling work again in recent years.

Charlize Theron at a promotional event in Tokyo.

Active in a variety of causes, Charlize Theron is very outspoken. She said that she would never get married until same-sex marriage became legal, and she founded The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) in 2007 to help with health concerns in southern Africa.

Charlize Theron is a force to be reckoned with, both within the film industry and without. She always has more projects in various stages of completion. She even joins successful franchises, such as playing Cipher in "Fast & Furious 8" (2017).

Charlize made the 2006 FHM magazine list of the "100 Sexiest Women in the World" at No. 15.

Charlize made the 2008 Maxim magazine list of the Hot 100 Women of 2008 at No. 11.

Charlize reportedly made $14 million in 2017, making her the 7th-highest earner among all actresses.

Charlize learned American English because she never studied English while in South Africa. She came to the United States as a teen and learned it then.

Charlize Theron is a United Nations messenger of peace.

Charlize reportedly has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Charlize Theron is pronounced Sharleese Ti-ron.

Charlize began modelling at age 14.

I live a very simple life. I don't have to make these giant movies. I don't have a yacht or a private plane. As long as I can maintain this life, which is pretty low-maintenance and simple, then all of a sudden you don't have to worry about all that stuff. It's such a blessed place to be in. I don't have to take a job to pay a mortgage on a house that I can't afford. My life comes first, then my job. I'm incredibly lucky to be in a position where I don't have to work all the time to live.

I've gone back several times. The only thing that really stuck with me the first time I went back was walking through the house that I grew up in, and everything seemed so small. It was such a bizarre feeling. I was like, "My mother made me sleep in a closet."

I don't know how to say this without sounding strange. But I feel like having this tragedy [her mother killed her father] at such a young age has given me a leg up from other people. Because, man, from 16, I knew the value of life and I knew how quickly it could be taken away. And from that moment on, I made a choice to either swim or to drown, you know?

As you get older, you get wrinkles and your boobs sag. But you get wisdom, too. So it's not all bad!

I actually have seven children no one knows about--in a cave. They can see Russia from their house, too.

Along with her film success, Charlize Theron remains a top model.

You know, people drank. Some people drank more, but it was never considered that this might be a problem. It was just the way it was then.

I don't believe in charmed lives. I think that tragedy is part of the lesson you learn to lift yourself up, to pick yourself up and to move on.

People just aren't willing to see conflict, or ugliness or the more flawed side of life through a female character's eyes. I mean, can you imagine a woman playing Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver? When Robert De Niro does it it's fine, [but] people are very uncomfortable about seeing that through a woman's eyes. We aren't allowed complexity.

What kind of stories can you tell with glamor? There are very few stories of conflict you can tell, right? I look for good stories; I'm not driven by anything other than good filmmakers and good stories. And then my job as an actor is to service those stories as well as I possibly can. The physical is the last thing that drives me.

I've always said that I worry about being with a man who doesn't flirt.

Looks alone won't get you that far. It may get you in the door, but there's always somebody younger, somebody prettier. You have to rely on something else.

I'm 50-50 on glamour stuff. I'd rather put on a pair of jeans and get on my Harley and act like a guy.

I've always been very proud to be a South African and I've always been very honest to people about that. And whatever I can do in my power, I promise you, I will do. I don't think it's too much pressure. I think it's our duty as citizens of this country. You don't have to win an Oscar to do something good for your country. We all can do that. If I can be an encouragement for that I'll be glad to be that.

I'm happy for people who want to get married, but it's not my thing. I'm extremely happy in my relationship and I would love to have kids.

At first I found it really hard using three different English accents: South African, faking the American, faking the accent required by the job. I decided to make it easier for myself and just do one. I haven't lost my culture, just my accent.

2017