June Carter Cash
Musical Monikers
Madonna
Justin Bieber
My Ghost Story
I Survived
Babe Ruth
Johnny Cash
Georgia O'Keefe
I Survived
Quick Facts
- NAME: Charlize Theron
- OCCUPATION: Animal Rights Activist, Film Actress, Television Actress
- BIRTH DATE: August 07, 1975 (Age: 37)
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa
- ZODIAC SIGN: Leo
Best Known For
Charlize Theron is a South African-born actress, best known for her roles in such films as North Country and Monster, for which she won an Academy Award.
Quiz
Think you know about Biography?
Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play NowCharlize Theron. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 10:03, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/charlize-theron-9542564.
Charlize Theron. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/charlize-theron-9542564 [Accessed 21 May 2013].
"Charlize Theron." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 10:03 http://www.biography.com/people/charlize-theron-9542564.
"Charlize Theron," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/charlize-theron-9542564 [accessed May 21, 2013].
"Charlize Theron," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/charlize-theron-9542564 (accessed May 21, 2013).
Charlize Theron [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/charlize-theron-9542564.
Charlize Theron, http://www.biography.com/people/charlize-theron-9542564 (last visited May 21, 2013).
Charlize Theron. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/charlize-theron-9542564. Accessed May 21, 2013.
Synopsis
Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, Transvaal Province, South Africa, on August 7, 1975. Theron first began appearing in films in the mid-1990s, establishing herself with roles in The Cider House Rules and The Devil's Advocate. She went on to give an Oscar-winning performance as serial killer Eileen Wuornos in Monster, and well-reviewed performances in North Country and Young Adult.
Early Life
Actress, philanthropist. Born on August 7, 1975, in rural Benoni, South Africa, to co-owners of a road construction company, Charles and Gerda. The Afrikaans-speaking family lived on a working farm outside of Johannesburg, and although Theron's childhood chores included tending livestock, her passion for dance became evident early on. To foster her artistic leanings, Theron began ballet lessons at age six. Her parents encouraged her burgeoning talent, and by age 12, she was sent to a Johannesburg boarding school to study dance.
The Theron household was an unhappy one, and as Charles struggled with alcoholism, he became physically abusive. In 1991, when Theron was 15, her father violently attacked her and her mother. Theron watched as Gerda shot and killed Charles; the murder was deemed an act of self-defense, and Gerda was never charged with a crime. In the wake of the death, Gerda assumed ownership of the company, and Theron concocted the long-standing story that her father had been the victim of a lethal car accident.
At 16, Theron entered a Johannesburg modeling contest, which she won. She soon traveled to Italy, where she won the International New Model Today competition, and began a modeling career in earnest. After traveling to New York at the age of 18, she left high fashion to attempt a career in dance. Her studies with the Joffrey Ballet were curtailed by severe knee injuries, forcing her to abandon her first calling.
Making it in Hollywood
Theron decided to pursue acting instead, and moved to Los Angeles. She soon found, however, that her Afrikaner accent was a barrier in landing speaking roles. Watching hours of television, she strove to hide her South African roots with perfect American inflections.
In 1994, a destitute Theron argued with a bank teller, who refused to allow her to pull funds from a South African account. Theron's subsequent fit earned the attention of a fellow bank patron John Crosby, a Hollywood manager who represented talent including John Hurt and Rene Russo. He immediately offered to sign Theron and, within months, she made her acting debut in a small role in Children of the Corn III (1995). Soon after, larger parts followed in 2 Days in the Valley (1996) and That Thing You Do! (1996).
As Theron became more of a Hollywood presence, she was cast alongside Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves in The Devil's Advocate (1997). Her turn as Reeves' suicidal wife earned her another brief but memorable part in Woody Allen's Celebrity (1998), and a starring role in Disney's remake of Mighty Joe Young (1998).
profile name: Charlize Theron profile occupation:
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Profile Connections
Included In These Groups
-
Best Actress Oscar Winners
View groupExplore our collection of Best Actress Oscar winners, including Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Marion Cotillard, Vivien Leigh and Cher. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.
Best Actress Oscar Winners 68 people in this group
-
Oscar-Winning Portrayals
View groupTruth is often more fascinating than fiction. Since the beginning of movies, actors have been portraying figures from history and bringing them to life on screen. Mastering the well-known mannerisms and characteristics of real world figures can be more challenging than portraying a fictional character. Enormous amounts of research and drastic physical transformations are not uncommon for actors wanting to properly inhabit their role on film. Whether playing a scheming Queen, a country singer, a temperamental boxer, or a pioneering writer, those performers who can accurately play the part often find Oscar gold as their reward. Here are the Academy Award-winning actors, and the larger-than-life people they portrayed.
Oscar-Winning Portrayals 70 people in this group
presented by Oscar-Winning Portrayals -
Real Life Leading Ladies 25 people in this group
presented by Real Life Leading Ladies
