Charlize Theron
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| Charlize Theron | ||||||||||||||
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| Image:Charlize.jpg Charlize Theron at the premiere of North Country at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival | ||||||||||||||
| Born | August 7 1975 Benoni, South Africa | |||||||||||||
| Official site | charlizetheron.com | |||||||||||||
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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.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Theron was born in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa. Her father, Charles Theron, was a construction company owner of French Huguenot[citation needed] 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. "Theron" is a French surname (originally spelt Théron) 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 13, 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]
[edit] 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. 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 Theron was 18.
Unable to dance, Theron 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, which involved her removing all of her jewelry before taking her dress off and walking away naked; 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 Weil for breach of contract.[4]
On September 30, 2005, Theron 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], for which she received positive reviews. Additionally, Theron received a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination for her lead performance in the drama North Country. Ms. Magazine also honored her for this performance with a feature article in its Fall 2005 issue. Furthermore, Theron was nominated for an Oscar as a lead actress for the role; however, she did not win.
In 2005, Theron 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 of Britt Ekland in the 2004 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]
Theron has twice done advertisements for Christian Dior's fragrance J'Adore. The first ad featured her lying down on a gold dress. The second one was a commercial that featured her stripping down to virtually nothing.[8][9][10]
[edit] 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.[11]
[edit] 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.[12] 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".[13]
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.[14] 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".[citation needed] Theron is a supporter of animal rights and active member of PETA. She recently appeared in a PETA ad for their anti-fur campaign.[15]
Theron became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2007.[16]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 Days in the Valley | Helga Svelgen | |
| That Thing You Do | Tina Powers | ||
| 1997 | Trial and Error | Billie Tyler | |
| The Devil's Advocate | Mary Ann Lomax | ||
| 1998 | Celebrity | Supermodel | |
| Mighty Joe Young | Jill Young | ||
| 1999 | The Astronaut's Wife | Jillian Armacost | |
| The Cider House Rules | Candy Kendall | ||
| 2000 | Reindeer Games | Ashley Mercer | |
| The Yards | Erica Stoltz | ||
| The Legend of Bagger Vance | Adele Invergordon | ||
| Men of Honor | Gwen Sunday | ||
| 2001 | Sweet November | Sara Deever | Nominated for Worst Actress Razzie Award |
| The Curse of the Jade Scorpion | Laura Kensington | ||
| 15 Minutes | Rose Heam | ||
| 2002 | Trapped | Karen Jennings | |
| Waking Up in Reno | Candy Kirkendall | ||
| 2003 | The Italian Job | Stella Bridger | |
| Monster | Aileen Wuornos | Won Best Actress Academy Award | |
| 2004 | The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | Britt Ekland | |
| Head in the Clouds | Gilda Bessé | ||
| 2005 | North Country | Josey Aimes | Nominated for Best Actress Academy Award |
| Æon Flux | Æon Flux | ||
| 2007 | In the Valley of Elah | Det. Emily Sanders | |
| Battle in Seattle | Ella | ||
| 2008 | Sleepwalking | Joleen | Completed |
| Hancock | Publicist's wife | Post-Production | |
| Ice at the Bottom of the World | Pre-Production | ||
| 2009 | The Burning Plain | Filming | |
| White Jazz | Glenda Bledsoe | Rumored | |
| The Brazilian Job | Stella Bridger | Announced | |
| Jinx | In Talks |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Academy Award | ||
| Preceded by Nicole Kidman for The Hours | Best Actress 2003 for Monster | Succeeded by Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby |
| Golden Globe Award | ||
| Preceded by Nicole Kidman for The Hours | Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama for Monster 2004 | Succeeded by Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby |
| Berlin Film Festival | ||
| Preceded by Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore for The Hours | Silver Bear for Best Actress 2004 for Monster (tied with Catalina Sandino Moreno for Maria full of Grace) | Succeeded by Julia Jentsch for Sophie Scholl - The Final Days |
[edit] 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}
- ^ contactmusic.com. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
- ^ :: SHOWstudio::. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
- ^ Charlize Theron J’Adore Dior Ad Campaign; Nude Charlize Theron Dior J’Adore Commercial. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
- ^ 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
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Charlize Theron at the Internet Movie Database
- Charlize Theron at TV.com
- Charlize Theron at Yahoo! Movies
- Charlize Theron at People.com
- Theron brushes up on Hill of Tara
- Food Bank For New York City public service announcement
[edit] Interviews
- MovieHole interview (February 1, 2006)
- Guardian Unlimited interview (April 2, 2004)
- Dark Horizons interview (January 3, 2004)
- Spliced Wire interview (December 22, 2003)
- About.com interview (December 19, 2003)
- Theron's Anti Fur Ad
- Charlize Theron interview for Monsteraf:Charlize Theron
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Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since December 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since July 2007 | 1975 births | Afrikaans South Africans | American film actors | Best Actress Academy Award winners | Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) | 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
