Charlize Theron
Biography
Charlize
Theron was born in South Africa in a small "dorp" named
Benoni. She grew up as the only child on her family's farm. Learned
the some of her 28 languages from staff on this family farm. Her
parents also owned a road construction business at the same time.
At the age of 6, Charlize took up ballet and began to think of going
professional. She would soon take her dancing ability to higher
levels, going professional in the town of Johannesburg.
At 13,
in Johannesburg, her parents enrolled her in a boarding school.
At a young age, Charlize lost her Father. This left her mother,
Gerda, in charge of the family's road-construction business. At
the age of 16 she took an offer to begin modelling in Milan, Italy,
offered after winning a local modeling contest. This, however, lasted
for only a year when she grew tired of being seen as "somebody
beautiful who should not say a word." On the last day of a
modelling shoot in Manhattan, New York, she decided she would not
return to Italy. (Her U.S. citizenship is still pending). She decided
to return to her first love -- ballet. She began dancing with the
Joffrey school in New York. After completing such popular shows
as the Nutcracker Suite and Swan Lake, she suffered a knee injury
that ended her ballet dancing career at the young age of 18.
Without
the ability to dance ballet, and nearly broke, Charlize bought a
one way ticket to Hollywood at the urging of her mother, Gerda.
She arrived in Fairfax, California where she set up shop in the
Farmer's Daughter Motel. It was in 1994 that she was "discovered."
When an L.A. bank teller refused to cash her out-of-town cheque
because she did not have an account at the bank, she threw "a
little tantrum." This tantrum was witnessed by a talent manager
named John Crosby, who also represents Rene Russo and John Hurt.
He called this screaming, arm-waving tantrum-thrower a "vision"
and immediately asked her "I don't know what you do, but if
you're interested in acting, here's my card." Initially skeptical
of the card, she was informed by a friend that John Crosby was legitimate.
Of course, with no money or job, she was definitely interested and
set out to shed her South African accent. She began watching hours
of television and singing along to American songs on the radio.
Soon after, she acquired her first acting job -- 2 Days in the Valley.
This was followed by an audition for a new Tom Hanks movie, who
raved upon the completion of her audition, "She's got it! That
girl is going to be somebody." As her star rose, on December
19th of 1997, Charlize dumped the agent that had brought her there
abruptly, something she does not discuss in public.
Charlize
is presently dating the lead singer of the band Third Eye Blind,
Stephan Jenkins. This comes after a long turn at the single life
following a breakup with actor Craig Bierko (The Long Kiss Goodnight).
She recently found herself in the centre of a highly publicized
controversy surrounding an advertisement she did in her native South
Africa. The campaign, an anti-rape series done in an attempt to
bring notice to the high incidence of rape in South Africa, was
met with complaints after it was felt the ad was "anti-men"
in general.
Charlize Theron Filmography
The Ice at the Bottom
of the World (2006)
Class Action (2005)--Josie Aimes
Aeon Flux (2005)--Aeon Flux
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004) (TV)--Britt Ekland
Head in the Clouds (2004)--Gilda Bessé
Monster (2003)--Aileen Wuornos
The Husband I Bought (2003)
The Italian Job (2003)--Stella Bridger
Waking Up in Reno (2002)--Candy Kirkendall
Trapped (2002)--Karen Jennings
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)--Laura Kensington
15 Minutes (2001) (uncredited)--Rose Hearn
Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies (2001) (TV) (voice)--Narrator
Sweet November (2001)--Sara Deever
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)--Adele Invergordon
Men of Honor (2000)--Gwen Sunday
The Yards (2000)--Erica Stoltz
Reindeer Games (2000)--Ashley
The Cider House Rules (1999)--Candy Kendall
The Astronaut's Wife (1999)--Jillian Armacost
Mighty Joe Young (1998)--Jill Young
Celebrity (1998)--Supermodel
Hollywood Confidential (1997) (TV)--Sally
The Devil's Advocate (1997)--Mary Ann Lomax
Trial and Error (1997)--Billie Tyler, the Waitress
Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996) (V) (uncredited)--Young
Woman
That Thing You Do! (1996)--Tina
2 Days in the Valley (1996)--Helga Svelgen |
