Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron | |
|---|---|
 Charlize Theron at the premiere of North Country at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival | |
| Partner | Stuart Townsend |
| Website | charlizetheron.com |
Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) is a South African/American actress and former fashion model. She is well known for her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster, for which she won an Academy Award.
Biography
Early life
Theron was born in Benoni, Gauteng, 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. Theron's first language is Afrikaans. She is also fluent in English and speaks some Xhosa. In the United States, both in her films and while being interviewed, etc., Theron speaks with a typical American accent and style of speech, leading most people to assume she is American. "Theron" is a French surname pronounced in Afrikaans as "Tronn", although she has said that she prefers the pronunciation "Thrown."[1] The pronunciation commonly used in the United States involves two syllables, with stress on the first.
Theron grew up as the only child on her parents' farm near Johannesburg (Benoni). At the age of thirteen, Charlize was sent to boarding school and began her studies at the National School Of The Arts in Johannesburg. At fifteen, Theron witnessed the death of her father, an abusive alcoholic; her mother shot him in self-defense when he attacked her. The police laid no charges against her.[2]
Career
At the age of 16, Theron traveled to Milan, Italy, on a one-year modeling 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 closed this career path when she was 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 Theron, taken during the early years of her modeling career. Claiming they had been "for private use", Theron ended up suing photographer Guido Argentini. After appearing in a few notable films, Theron starred as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster (2003). Film critic Roger Ebert called it "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema",[3] for which 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, Theron replaced Estonian model Tiiu Kuik in the J'ADORE advertisements by Christian Dior; she is the current spokeswoman for Dior perfume. From October 2005 to December 2006 Theron endorsed Raymond Weil watches; in February of 2006 she was sued by them for breach of contract.[4] 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[5] and was given positive reviews. Additionally, she received a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination for her lead performance in the drama North Country. Ms. Magazine honored her for this performance as well with a feature article in its Fall 2005 issue. 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, Theron also portrayed Rita, Michael Bluth's (Jason Bateman) love interest on the third season of FOX's critically acclaimed television series Arrested Development. She also received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her role in the HBO movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.
In May 2006, Maxim magazine named Theron #25 in its annual Hot 100 issue.[6]
In October 2007, Esquire magazine named Theron 'The Sexiest Woman Alive' in its annual issue.[7]
Salary and status
After her Oscar win for Monster, she earned $10,000,000 for both North Country and Aeon Flux. According to The Hollywood Reporter's 2006 list of highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, she ranked 7th, behind Halle Berry, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Renée Zellweger, Reese Witherspoon, and Nicole Kidman.[8]
Personal life
Theron dated the lead singer of Third Eye Blind, Stephan Jenkins, from January 1998 to July 2001. They broke up after Jenkins failed to take her requests of marriage seriously.[9] Theron now resides in Los Angeles with her long-time 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 they will not marry until same-sex couples are able to have their marriages recognized.[citation needed] Townsend recently stated he considers himself and Theron to be husband and wife. "We didn't have a ceremony," he said. "I don't need a certificate or the state or the church to say otherwise. So no there's no big official story on a wedding, but we are married. ... I consider her my wife and she considers me her husband".[10]
While filming Æon Flux in Berlin, Germany, Theron had surgery on a herniated disc in her neck, the result of an injury incurred on the set during a stunt.
Theron is also involved in women's rights organizations.[11] In 2006, Theron won GLAAD's Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for increasing "visibility and understanding in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community". Theron is a supporter of animal rights and active member of PETA. She recently appeared in a PETA ad for their anti-fur campaign.[12]
Theron became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2007.[13]
Filmography
References
- ^ Aclasscelebs.com interview
- ^ http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/854:1192/1/Charlize_Theron.htm Thebiographychannel.co.uk
- ^ Roger Ebert
- ^ "Actress Charlize Theron Sued by Swiss Watchmaker". Associated Press, February 6, 2007.
- ^ IMDB Business Data
- ^ Maxim Online
- ^ [http://www.esquire.com/women/the-sexiest-woman-alive/mysterywoman1107#img}
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3ifdcb92a3b7ef2ca9523282822feebc51 Hollywoodreporter.com
- ^ http://www.tribute.ca/tribute/1205/sex_degrees.htm Tribute.ca
- ^ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20055540,00.html
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ Fur is Dead
- ^ http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/092507/page2.html
External links
- Sexiest Woman Alive -Photo Archive
- Official website
- Charlize Theron at IMDb
- Template:Nndb name
- Template:Tv.com person
- Template:Ymovies name
- Charlize Theron at People.com
- Theron's Martini Ad
- Theron brushes up on Hill of Tara
- Food Bank For New York City public service announcement
Interviews
- 1975 births
- Afrikaans South Africans
- American film actors
- Best Actress Academy Award winners
- Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film)
- French Americans
- French-South Africans
- German-Americans
- LGBT rights activists from South Africa
- Living people
- Naturalized citizens of the United States
- People from Gauteng Province
- South African-Americans
- South African film actors
- South African models
- South Africans of Huguenot descent