Charlize TheronCharlize Theron
Early Life Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, South Africa. Her father, Charles Theron, was a construction company owner of French Huguenot descent; her mother, Gerda, is of German descent and took over her husband's business after his death. Charlize Theron's first language is Afrikaans, and her second is English. "Theron" is a French surname pronounced in Afrikaans as "Tronn", although she has stated that she prefers the pronunciation "Thrown". Charlize Theron grew up as the only child on her parents' farm
near Johannesburg (Benoni) and was sent to a boarding school at
the age of thirteen. At fifteen, Charlize Theron witnessed the death
of her father; he was an abusive alcoholic, and her mother shot
him in self defense when he attacked her. No charges were pressed.
Career At the age of sixteen, Charlize Theron travelled to Milan, Italy on a one-year modelling contract, after winning a local competition. Her contract ended while she was in New York City, and she decided to remain there, attending the Joffrey Ballet School, where she trained as a ballet dancer. A knee injury ended this career path at the age of 18. Unable to dance, she bought a ticket to Los Angeles. After eight months in the city, she was cast in her first film part, a non-speaking role in the direct-to-video film Children of the Corn III. She followed this with larger roles in widely released Hollywood films, and her career skyrocketed in the late 1990s, with box office successes like The Devil's Advocate, The Cider House Rules, and Mighty Joe Young. The May 1999 issue of Playboy published nude photos of Charlize Theron, taken during the early years of her modeling career. Claiming they had been "for private use", Charlize Theron ended up suing photographer Guido Argentini. After appearing in a few notable films, Charlize Theron starred as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster (2003). Receiving praise for her performance (film critic Roger Ebert called it "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema"), Charlize Theron won the Best Actress Oscar at the 76th Academy Awards in February 2004, as well as the SAG Award and the Golden Globe Award. She is the first South African to win an Oscar for Best Actress.
Having signed a deal with John Galliano in 2004, Charlize Theron replaced Estonian model Tiiu Kuik in the J'ADORE advertisements by Christian Dior; she is the current spokeswoman for Dior perfume. On September 30, 2005, she received her own bronze star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the same year, she starred in the financially unsuccessful science fiction thriller Æon Flux and was given positive reviews, as well as a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination, for her lead performance in the drama North Country. She had also been nominated for an Oscar as a lead actress for the role, although she did not win; this was her second nomination. In 2005, Charlize Theron also portrayed Rita, Michael Bluth's (Jason Bateman) love interest on the third season of FOX's critically acclaimed sitcom, Arrested Development. Personal Life Charlize Theron dated the lead singer of Third Eye Blind, Stephan Jenkins, from January 1998 to July 2001. Jenkins broke up with her after failing to take her requests of marriage seriously. Charlize Theron now resides in Los Angeles with her long-term boyfriend, Stuart Townsend, with whom she starred in the 2004 film, Head in the Clouds as well as in the 2002 film, Trapped; she has said that she will not marry him until same-sex couples are able to have their marriages recognized. In October 2005, her mother, Gerda, was married in California. The media thought that Charlize was the one getting married (to Townsend) and the paparazzi got as close as they could for the photos. While filming Æon Flux in Berlin, Germany, Charlize Theron had surgery on a herniated cervical disc in her neck, the result of an injury incurred on the set during a stunt. Charlize Theron is also involved in women's rights organizations. She has tried to apply for a German passport because of her mother's German ancestry, but was turned down because she did not have any family members currently residing there.
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Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) is an Academy Award-winning
South African actress.
