Charlize Theron is a South African-American actress and producer born on 7 August 1975. She’s super famous and has won big awards like an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Time even put her on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016.
She became famous in the 1990s for starring in big movies like The Devil’s Advocate, Mighty Joe Young, and The Cider House Rules. But she blew everyone away with her role as a serial killer named Aileen Wuornos in the movie Monster in 2003. That role won her an Academy Award, making her the first South African to win one for acting. She was also nominated for another Academy Award for her role in North Country in 2005.
Charlize has been in a bunch of action movies that made a ton of money, like The Italian Job, Hancock, Snow White and the Huntsman, Prometheus, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Fate of the Furious, Atomic Blonde, The Old Guard, F9, and Fast X. She’s also gotten a lot of praise for playing complex characters in movies like Young Adult, Tully, and Bombshell, where she played Megyn Kelly.
Since the early 2000s, Charlize has also been making movies as a producer with her company Denver and Delilah Productions. She’s produced lots of films, many of which she’s starred in, like The Burning Plain, Dark Places, and Long Shot. She became an American citizen in 2007 while still keeping her South African citizenship. And she’s even got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
| Full Name | Charlize Theron |
| Date of Birth | August 7, 1975 |
| Place of Birth | Benoni, South Africa |
| Occupation | Actress, Producer |
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches (1.77 m) |
| Spouse | Stuart Townsend (2001–2009) |
| Children | 2 (adopted) |
| Net Worth | $200 million |
Charlize Theron Early Life and Education
Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, South Africa, on August 7, 1975. She grew up with her parents, Gerda and Charles Theron on a farm near Johannesburg. Charlize’s family background is Afrikaner, with ancestors of Dutch, French, and German descent. Her great-grand-uncle was a military leader in the Second Boer War.
When Charlize was just 15, a tragic event changed her life. Her father, who struggled with alcoholism became violent one night, threatening Charlize and her mother. In self-defense, Charlize’s mother shot and killed him. The authorities ruled it as an act of self-defense so Charlize’s mother didn’t face any charges.
Charlize had a challenging childhood. She didn’t always feel like she fit in at school and she battled health issues like jaundice. Due to illness and medication, her baby teeth rotted and had to be removed surgically. Her permanent teeth didn’t come in until she was about ten years old.
At 13, Charlize went to boarding school and later attended the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg. Despite the turmoil in her family, Charlize remembers her childhood fondly. She didn’t have many modern distractions like video games or computers due to economic sanctions in South Africa at the time, so she had to find ways to entertain herself.
While Charlize is fluent in English, her first language is Afrikaans. Despite her challenges, she’s become one of Hollywood’s most successful actors.
Career
Early work (1991–1996)
Although Charlize Theron thought of herself as a dancer, Theron was discovered as a model when she was 16 at a competition in Italy. She then moved to Milan with her mom and modeled all over Europe for a year before they settled in the United States. In New York, she trained as a ballet dancer but had to stop because of a knee injury. This made her sad, but her mom told her to figure out her next step or go back home to South Africa.
In 1994, Theron went to Los Angeles to try her luck in movies. She didn’t have much money and lived in a cheap motel. Sometimes she had to steal bread to eat. Once, she had trouble cashing a check her mom sent her because she wasn’t a US citizen, but a kind stranger helped her out and gave her a chance to act.
That stranger, John Crosby introduced her to acting school. In 1995, she appeared in a small role in a horror movie. Her first big speaking role came in 1996 in a movie called 2 Days in the Valley. Even though the movie didn’t get great reviews, people noticed her because of her looks and a fight scene she had with another actress. Theron didn’t want to be stuck playing similar roles, so she worked hard to try different things.
When she auditioned for Showgirls, she met J. J. Harris, who became her mentor and agent for more than 15 years. Harris believed in her talent and helped her find roles in different types of movies even encouraging her to produce films herself.
Breakthrough (1997–2002)
In the late 1990s, Charlize Theron’s acting career took off. One of her big breaks was in the spooky movie The Devil’s Advocate (1997), where she played the troubled wife of a super-successful lawyer, alongside Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino. She also starred in Mighty Joe Young (1998), as a woman who befriends and protects a huge gorilla and in The Cider House Rules (1999), as a woman in WWII-era Maine who wants an abortion.
Even though Mighty Joe Young didn’t do well at the box office, The Devil’s Advocate and The Cider House Rules were big hits. Theron even graced the cover of Vanity Fair in January 1999 as their White Hot Venus. But there was a bit of a scandal when Playboy magazine published photos of her from a few years back without her permission and she tried to sue them.
In the early 2000s, Charlize Theron kept on acting in movies like Reindeer Games (2000), The Yards (2000), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), Men of Honor (2000), Sweet November (2001), The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001), and Trapped (2002). Even though these movies didn’t all do great at the box office, they helped Theron build her reputation as an actress. She said that during this time, she fell in love with working with certain directors, even if the movies didn’t always turn out so great. She admitted that some, like Reindeer Games, weren’t her best work, but she did them because she admired the director.
Worldwide recognition and critical success (2003–2008)
Charlize Theron had some big moments in her career. In 2003, she played a safety expert in the movie The Italian Job, which made a lot of money. She acted alongside famous stars like Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton.
Then, in Monster, she played a real-life serial killer named Aileen Wuornos. Critics loved her performance, saying it was one of the best. She won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for it, making her the first South African to win an Oscar for acting. She also became one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and was named the most desirable woman by AskMen.
In 2004, Charlize Theron got more recognition for her role as actress Britt Ekland in a TV movie. The next year, she appeared in Arrested Development and starred in a sci-fi movie called Æon Flux, although it didn’t do well at the box office.
Another big role came in North Country in 2005, where she played a single mom facing workplace harassment. Critics praised her performance, and she was nominated for more awards.
She got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005. Then, in 2007, she played a detective in a crime movie and starred in a drama called Sleepwalking, which she also produced. Critics liked her in it even though the movie had some problems.
In 2008, she starred in The Burning Plain and Hancock. The Burning Plain didn’t do great in theaters, but Hancock made a ton of money worldwide. That same year, she got some special honors and was asked to be a UN Messenger of Peace.
Career hiatus and fluctuations (2009–2016)
Charlize Theron had a busy time in 2009. She appeared in two movies: one called The Road, a dramatic story set after the world ends, where she shows up in short scenes from the past, and another called Astro Boy, where she lent her voice to a character. She also got involved in the excitement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup draw in South Africa, making a funny joke about a soccer controversy during rehearsals.
After taking a break from movies for a couple of years, Theron came back in 2011 with a comedy called Young Adult, where she played a woman dealing with a lot of problems. Critics loved her performance, and she was nominated for some awards. They said she was one of the best actors around.
In 2012, Charlize Theron played the bad guy in two big movies: one where she was the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Huntsman, and another where she was a tricky crew member in Prometheus. Both films made a lot of money, even though critics had mixed feelings about them. The next year, she was recognized as one of the most valuable stars in Hollywood.
She also tried her hand at comedy in 2014 with A Million Ways to Die in the West, but it didn’t do as well as expected. Then in 2015, she starred in Dark Places, a movie about a woman who survives a terrible event, and in the action-packed Mad Max: Fury Road, where she played a tough character named Imperator Furiosa. Mad Max was a huge hit, and people loved Theron’s performance.
In 2016, she returned as Queen Ravenna in a sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman, which didn’t do as well as the first one. She also appeared in a few other movies including one where she played a doctor helping people in Africa, and she voiced a character in an animated film. That year, she was honored as one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine.
Resurgence (2017–present)
In 2017, Charlize Theron starred in two big movies. One was The Fate of the Furious, where she played the bad guy Cipher, who messes with the good guys. The other was Atomic Blonde, set in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. People liked both movies a lot, and they made a ton of money. Critics especially praised Charlize for being awesome in Atomic Blonde and also in another movie called Tully, where she played a mom with a lot on her plate.
In 2018, Charlize Theron was busy too. She acted in a comedy called Gringo and helped make a serious movie called A Private War.
Then in 2019, she starred in a romantic comedy called Long Shot and got a lot of love for her performance. She also acted in and helped make Bombshell, a drama about a big scandal at a TV news station. She did such a great job that she got nominated for a bunch of awards.
Theron kept busy in 2020, producing and starring in a movie called The Old Guard. In 2021, she returned to her role as Cipher in the movie F9, but it got delayed because of the pandemic.
In 2022, she had some exciting news. She joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe playing a character named Clea. Plus, she acted in a fantasy movie on Netflix and made a quick appearance on a popular TV show.
In 2023, she played Cipher again in another Fast movie and worked behind the scenes on a documentary series for HBO.
Net Worth
Charlize Theron’s Net Worth is estimated to be $200 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Other ventures
Activism
Charlize Theron has been doing some amazing stuff to help people in Africa, especially young people fighting against HIV/AIDS. She started something called the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, or CTAOP, back in 2007. By 2017, they had raised over $6.3 million to support groups in Africa that are working hard to fight HIV/AIDS.
In 2008, she became a United Nations Messenger of Peace. That means she got recognized for all the good she’s been doing, especially for women and kids in South Africa. She even made a video in 2014 to help stop rape as part of the UN’s program.
One cool thing she did was team up with Toms Shoes in 2009 to make a special shoe inspired by African trees. They gave away 10,000 pairs to kids who needed them, and some of the money went to support CTAOP.
In 2020, CTAOP joined forces with Parfums Christian Dior for a project called Dior Stands With Women. They got people like Cara Delevingne and Yalitza Aparicio involved to encourage women to speak up about their lives and struggles.
Theron is also big on women’s rights. She’s marched in rallies supporting a woman’s right to choose and has been a strong advocate for same-sex marriage. She said she wouldn’t get married until everyone could because she believed in equal rights for all.
CTAOP has been part of some big events too, like the Fame and Philanthropy fundraiser in 2014, where they got support during the Academy Awards. Theron also signed a letter in 2015 urging leaders to focus on women’s issues, and in 2018, she gave a speech about preventing AIDS at a big conference.
Just recently, in 2022, Charlize Theron was honored with the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award for her work alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph at a gala fundraiser. It’s great to see someone using their fame to make such a positive impact!
Endorsements
In 2004, Charlize Theron made a deal with fashion designer John Galliano. She took over from model Tiiu Kuik as the face of J’Adore perfume by Christian Dior. Then, in 2018, she starred in a new ad for the same perfume.
Between October 2005 and December 2006, Theron earned $3 million for letting Raymond Weil use her picture in ads all over the world for their watches. But in February 2006, Weil sued her and her company for breaking their deal. They settled the lawsuit on November 4, 2008.
In 2018, Charlize Theron, along with Brad Pitt, Daniel Wu, and Adam Driver, became ambassadors for Breitling watches. They’re known as the Breitling Cinema Squad.
Personal life
Back in 2007, Charlize Theron officially became a citizen of the United States, but she still kept her citizenship from South Africa. She’s a mom to two adopted daughters, one since March 2012 and another since July 2015. Theron always felt drawn to adoption ever since she was a kid and saw how many children needed families.
In April 2019, Theron shared that her daughter Jackson, who was seven at the time is transgender. She believes that her kids should be free to be themselves and choose their paths.
Theron looks up to actresses Susan Sarandon and Sigourney Weaver. She’s also a big fan of Tom Hanks, calling her admiration for him a “love affair.” Growing up in South Africa, she wasn’t aware of how famous he was until she moved to the US. She even got his autograph after working on a movie with him.
Dealing with anger issues in her thirties, Theron realized it stemmed from her experiences during South Africa’s apartheid, which ended when she was a teenager.
When it comes to her acting roles, Charlize Theron believes in creating both a physical and emotional identity for her characters. She sees it as a powerful tool that helps her dive deep into her roles. She takes her preparation seriously, treating it like studying, often finding quiet space to focus and get into character.
Theron’s also a huge fan of the band Depeche Mode and got to present them at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
Relationships
Charlize Theron’s love life has been quite the journey! She first dated actor Craig Bierko from 1995 to 1997. Then, she was with singer Stephan Jenkins for three years until 2001. Their breakup inspired some of the songs on his band’s album.
After that, Theron got together with Irish actor Stuart Townsend, whom she met on the set of a movie. They even lived together in Los Angeles and Ireland until they broke up in 2009.
Later on, in December 2013, Theron started dating American actor Sean Penn. Their relationship ended in June 2015, despite rumors that they were engaged. Theron clarified they were never engaged. Interestingly, they even worked together on a movie while they were still together.
Health concerns
Charlize Theron, famous for her roles in action-packed films, has faced her fair share of injuries on set, even when the scenes aren’t particularly intense. While shooting Æon Flux in Berlin, she endured a herniated disc in her neck from a fall during a series of backhandsprings. This mishap required her to wear a neck brace for a month.
During the filming of The Old Guard, she tore a ligament in her thumb when it got caught in another actor’s jacket during a fight scene. This injury was serious, needing three operations and six months in a thumb brace to recover.
In another instance, while working on Atomic Blonde, she broke her teeth from clenching her jaw too tightly. This led to dental surgery where she had to have teeth removed and replaced with a donor bone and a metal screw.
Outside of action roles, Charlize Theron faced health challenges too. During the filming of Tully, she suffered from a herniated disk in her lower back and experienced a depression-like state, possibly due to the processed food she had to eat for her character’s post-natal body.
In 2009, she was diagnosed with a severe stomach virus, likely caught while traveling overseas. While shooting The Road, she injured her vocal cords from screaming during labor scenes.
Even promotional events weren’t spared from her misfortunes. When promoting Long Shot, she revealed that she laughed so hard at “Borat” that her neck locked up for five days. Additionally, on the set of Long Shot, she ended up in the emergency room after accidentally hitting her head against a bench while putting on knee pads.
