This captivating former model has carved out an impressive career by playing some really ugly characters. After capturing attention as a sexy hit woman in her 1996 film debut,
2 Days in the Valley, the South African beauty took on a succession of less flashy parts, such as an uptight girlfriend in
That Thing You Do and a naive Southern wife in
The Devil's Advocate. In the late '90s and early '00s, Theron appeared in a plethora of high-minded (if not always successful) Hollywood films (
The Cider House Rules,
The Legend of Bagger Vance,
15 Minutes), but it was her turn as a lesbian prostitute/serial killer in the 2003 indie hit
Monster that established her as a great actress. Virtually unrecognizable under many pounds of extra weight and makeup, Theron took home a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her transformative performance. Although off screen the leggy lady led a glamorous life, frequently appearing on best-dressed lists with her hunky actor-boyfriend Stuart Townsend draped on her arm, she continued her deglamorized cinema streak as a sexually harassed miner in
North Country, which earned her Golden Globe and Oscar nods in 2006.
Charlize Theron Fast Facts:
- Left her native South Africa in 1991, the same year that her mother shot and killed Theron's father in self-defense.
- Won a modeling contest in Italy at the age of 16.
- Studied with the Joffrey Ballet in New York City.
- First attracted the attention of talent manager John Crosby with a tirade in a Los Angeles-area bank after a teller refused to cash her out-of-state check.
- Was turned down for the lead role in 1995's infamous bomb Showgirls.
- Starred with real-life boyfriend Stuart Townsend in 2004's Head in the Clouds.
- The first South African to win an Oscar, Theron picked up the award for her harrowing performance in Monster (2003).
- Charlize Theron Relationships:
- Charles Theron - Father
- Denver - Stepbrother
- Gerda Theron - Mother
- Stuart Townsend - Significant Other
- Charlize Theron Awards:
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- 2003 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Winner
- 2005 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2004 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Winner
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
