Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron was born on 7 August 1975 in Benoni, near Johannesburg, South Africa.
The BBC reported in, Charlize Theron's rise to the top, how:
"Her parents' marriage was rocky, and when she was 15, her mother shot her father in self-defence, after he threatened to kill them both in a drunken rage ..."
Before working in films, Charlize Theron worked as a model.
Charlize Theron moved to the States and was doing well at the Joffrey Ballet when an injury put paid to her chances of progressing as a dancer.
Charlize Theron's got her feature film debut in Two Days in the Valley. She has been kept busy ever since.
Credits include Trial and Error, Devil's Advocate, That Thing You Do, Celebrity, The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion, Mighty Joe Young, The Astronaut's Wife, The Cider House Rules, Reindeer Games, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Navy Diver, The Yards, Sweet November, 24 Hours, Waking Up In Reno, Ĉon Flux, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, and The Italian Job.
Two other Charlize Theron performances, however are worthy of a special mention.
Theron won an Academy Award win in 2004 for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster.
She gained 30lb to play the notorious killer.
There is a lot of background on Monster in the Guardian's interview with Charlize Theron, in which she says:
"Up until Monster, there were a whole lot of roles I just didn't get listed for ... [Theron's production company ended up making the film] ... because when financing came round no one else wanted to do it".
Another stand-out role of Charlize Theron was when she played a miner in North Country. Theron was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the role.
Charlize Theron had a long relationship with Stephan Jenkins of the band Third Eye Blind, however they broke up and she is going out with Irish actor Stuart Townsend. Charlize Theron was applauded by gay activists as she, according to the BBC:
" ... reportedly said on TV that she would not wed boyfriend Stuart Townsend until gay marriage is legally recognised in the US."
Charlize Theron's production company produced the documentary East of Havana directed by Jauretsi Saizabitoria and Emilia Menocal.
Charlize Theron in the Guardian, described her approach to acting:
"I'm kind of like a cow: if you milk me too much, I become really dry really quickly."
AskMen.com has an actress of the week feature on Charlize Theron.