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Charlize Theron Biography

Birth Place:
Benoni, South Africa
Profession
Actor, model

Fast Facts

  • Left her native South Africa in 1991, the same year that her mother shot and killed Charlize'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 for eight months
  • 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
  • Made her feature-film debut in 2 Days in the Valley (1996), playing a sexy villain who engages in a bruising fight scene with Teri Hatcher
  • Became the first South African to win an Academy Award for Best Actress when she won for Monster (2003)
  • Starred with then-real-life boyfriend Stuart Townsend in 2004's Head in the Clouds
  • Created the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program in 2007
  • Shaved her head for her role in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Awards

  • 2021People's Choice Awards-Favorite Movie Actress: nominated
  • 2020People's Choice Awards-Favorite Action Movie Actor: nominated
  • 2020People's Choice Awards-Favorite Movie Actress: nominated
  • 2020BAFTA Film Awards-Best Leading Actress: nominated
  • 2020Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama: nominated
  • 2019Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 2019Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: nominated
  • 2019Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 2019Critics' Choice Awards-Best Actress: nominated
  • 2019Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy: nominated
  • 2015AACTA Awards-Best Lead Actress: nominated
  • 2015Critics' Choice Awards-Best Actress: nominated
  • 2012Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical: nominated
  • 2011Detroit Film Critics Society-Best Actress: nominated
  • 2006Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama: nominated
  • 2006Critics' Choice Awards-Best Actress: nominated
  • 2006BAFTA Film Awards-Best Actress in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 2005Emmy-Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie: nominated
  • 2005Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 2005Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 2005Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television: nominated
  • 2005BAFTA Film Awards-Best Actress in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 2004Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: nominated
  • 2004Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama: winner
  • 2004Independent Spirit Awards-Best Female Lead: winner
  • 2004Critics' Choice Awards-Best Actress: winner
  • 2004Berlin Film Festival-Silver Bear for Best Actress: winner
  • 2003Los Angeles Film Critics Association-Best Actress - Runner-up: winner
  • 2003Chicago Film Critics Association-Best Actress: winner
  • 2003Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: winner
  • 2003National Society of Film Critics-Best Actress: winner
  • 2003Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: winner
  • 2003San Francisco Film Critics Circle-Best Actress: winner
  • 1999Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: nominated

Relationships