Charlize Theron is an award-winning Hollywood actress born in South Africa. She is one of Forbes Africa’s 50 most powerful women in 2020. More than that, Charlize is the first South African to win an Oscar in an acting category.
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According to Time magazine in 2016, Charlize Theron is one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since 2008, Theron has been officially recognized as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Charlize Theron Background
Charlize Theron was born on 7th August 1975 in Benoni, South-Africa. She is the only child of her parents, Gerda (nee Maritz) and Charles Theron. She grew up on their farm in Benoni, near Johannesburg. Charlize is from an Afrikaner family, and her ancestry includes Dutch, French and German.
Theron attended Putfontein Primary School (Laerskool Putfontein). At 13, Theron wanted to explore her ballet studies because of her love for dancing. Hence, she went on to a boarding school and began her studies at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg.
In 2007, Theron became a naturalized citizen of the United States while retaining her South African citizenship. Her first language is Afrikaans but she can also speak English fluently.
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Charlize Theron Personal Life
At age 15, Charlize visited home to see her parents and an unfortunate incident happened. Her father was drunk and became uncontrollable. Theron’s father attempted to shoot her and her mum but the mother in self-defense shot him.
Theron has 2 adopted children: Jackson and August. She adopted Jackson in March 2012 and August in July 2015. Meanwhile, she declared publicly in April 2019 that her son Jackson is a transgender girl.
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Charlize Theron Career
Theron began her career as a model. At age 16, she got signed into a one-year modeling contract at a local competition in Salemo which made her move with her mother to Milan, Italy. Thereafter, she moved with her mother to the US.
While in New York, US, she attended the Joffrey Ballet School, where she trained as a ballet dancer but stopped dancing when she developed a knee injury.
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Thereafter, Theron developed an interest in acting. This made her fly to Los Angeles in 1994 on a one-way ticket her mother bought for her. After some months in Los Angeles, she went to a Hollywood Boulevard bank to cash a cheque her mother had sent to help with the rent. At the bank, she had a hot banter with the teller who refused to cash the cheque. Upon seeing this, talent John Crosby, waiting behind her, handed her his business card and subsequently introduced her to casting agents and also an acting school.
Charlize Theron Acting Career
In 1995, Theron made her film debut with a non-speaking role in the horror film Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995). She subsequently began landing small roles, one of which includes, 2 Days in the Valley(1996). She acted as a hitwoman in the movie. Charlize got her first big role in the film, “The Devils Advocate” (1997). The movie received worldwide acceptance and that gave her a big break in her acting career.
Having set a pace in her career, she landed other substantial roles in “Mighty Joe Young” (1998), “Celebrity” (1998), “The Cider House Rules” (1999), and “The Italian Job” (2003).
In addition, Theron experienced significant growth in her career when she acted as “Aileen Wuornos” a serial killer, in the film, “Monster”. The role made her the first African to bag an Oscar Award.
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Other Film Roles
Obviously, Theron is one of the highest-paid Hollywood actresses. Hence, she gets to play major roles in highly acclaimed movies. She played the role of a gunslinger who assisted a shepherd in “A Million Ways to Die in the West” (2014). An intimidating warrior ‘Imperator Furiosa’ in “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), and Libby Day, a woman investigating the murder of her family in “Dark Places” (2015).
In 2016, Theron provided the voice of a surly monkey in “Kubo and the Two Strings”. Thereafter, in 2017, she starred in the action thrillers, “The Fate of the Furious”. In 2018, her films included Tully, where she played the role of an overwhelmed mother of three. Then, “Gringo”; a film about a kidnapped pharmaceutical company executive
Later on, Theron starred in a romantic comedy, “Longshot” (2019), and the animated feature “The Addams Family”.
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Denver and Delilah Productions
In 2003, Charlize Theron founded Denver and Delilah Productions and named the company after her two dogs; Denver and Delilah. The company is based in Los Angeles, California. Over the years, the company has produced several films including “Monster” (2003), “East of Havana” (2006), “Sleepwalking” (2007), “Young Adult” (2011), Atomic Blonde (2017).
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Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP)
In 2007, Charlize Theron created The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) with the intention to support African youth in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2008, she was named a UN Messenger of Peace. The project is committed to supporting community-engaged organizations that address the key drivers of the disease.
The beneficiaries of this project have mostly been Charlize’s home country; South Africa but the geographic scope of the project is Sub-Saharan Africa. By November 2017, CTAOP raised more than $6.3million to support African organizations working on the ground.
In December 2009, CTAOP partnered with TOMS Shoes to produce a limited edition unisex shoe. The shoe was made from vegan materials and inspired by the African baobab tree. Afterward, ten-thousand pairs were given to destitute children, and a portion of the proceeds went to CTAOP.
In March 2014, CTAOP was among the charities that benefited from the annual Fame and Philanthropy fundraising event on the night of the 86th Academy Awards.
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Charlize Theron’s Other Interests
Asides being a renowned actress, Theron is also a woman right activist. She is involved in women’s rights organizations and has marched in pro-choice rallies. Theron also supports animal rights and is an active member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
In addition to that, Theron supports same-sex marriage. This, she showed when she attended a rally in Fresno, California, on 30 May 2009. Charlize stated publicly that she will not get married until same-sex marriage is legalized in the United States.
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Charlize Theron Endorsements
Charlize signed a deal with John Gallianoin in 2004. The deal made her replace the Estonian model, Tiiu Kuik as the spokeswoman in the J’Adore advertisements by Christian Dior.
From October to December 2006, Theron made a whopping sum of US$3 million for the use of her image in a worldwide print media advertising campaign for Raymond Weil watches.
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Charlize Theron Quotes
“There’s only so much you can do, but if somebody doesn’t give you a chance there is nothing you can do.”
“I think today women are very scared to celebrate themselves because then they just get labeled.”
“Something I learned very early on in my career is that there are a lot of things that you do not have any power over.”
“Marriage equality is about more than just marriage. It’s about something greater. It’s about acceptance.”
“True peace requires standing up for the human rights of all the world’s people”
“A lot of times, we think we have to do it alone so we don’t appear weak, but it’s totally okay to ask for help”
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Charlize Theron Film Appearances
- Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest, 1995
- 2 Days in the valley, 1996
- The Devil’s Advocate, 1997
- Mighty Joe Young, 1998
- The Cider House Rule, 1999
- Reindeer Games, 2000
- The Yards, 2000
- The Legend of Bagger Vance, 2000
- Men of Honor, 2000
- Sweet November, 2001
- The curse of the Jade Scorpion, 2001
- Trapped, 2002
- Monster (Aileen Wuornos), 2003
- North Country, 2005
- Hancock, 2008
- Snow White and the Huntsman, 2012
- Prometheus, 2012
- Mad max: Fury Road, 2015
- The Italian Job, 2003
- The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, 2004
- Arrested Development (Television Series), 2006
- In the valley of Elah, 2007
- The Burning Plain, 2008
- Young Adult, 2011
- A million ways to die in the West, 2014
- The Huntsman: Winter’s War, 2016
- The Fate of the Furious, 2017
- Atomic Blonde, 2017
- Gringo, 2018
- A Private War, 2018
- Tully, 2018
- Bombshell (Megyn Kelly), 2019
- The Fast Saga, 2020
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Film produced by Charlize Theron
- Sleepwalking, 2007
- The Burning Plain, 2008
- The Road, 2009
- Dark Places, 2015
- Long Shot, 2019
- Bombshell, 2019
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Charlize Theron Nominations
- The Life, and Death of Peter Sellers, Golden Globe Award
- The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Primetime Emmy Award
- Academy Award for Best Actress, 2019
- Golden Globe Award for best actress in a motion picture Drama, 2019
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Awards and Recognitions
As of early 2020, Theron has 100 award nominations and 39 wins. Some of which include:
- Number one most desirable woman, AskMen, 2003
- Academy Award for Best Actress, 76th Academy Awards, 2004
- The Hollywood Reporters list of highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, 2006
- Spike Video Game Award for Best Performance by a Human Female
- Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Hasty Pudding Theatricals Woman of the Year, 2008
- 68th most valuable star in Hollywood, Vulture/NYMag, 2013
- Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actress, 2019
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a female actor in a leading role, 2019
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a leading role, 2019
- Forbes ninth highest-paid actress in the world
- Time Magazine, one of the 100 most influential people in the world
- Forbes Africa’s 50 most powerful women, 2020
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Business Lessons From The Life Of Charlize Theron
1. Be Willing To Learn
“I had no idea how people became actors, I literally thought that Tom Hanks was just some guy who worked at a coffee shop, and every once in a while he got to make a movie.” Said Theron.
Despite this submission, Theron knew she wanted to be an actress and she went all out to learn from those ahead of her. In business, you may not have all the information you need immediately, but embrace naivety by asking questions that can help you get grounded in your chosen industry.
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2. Set Standards
Theron is a woman that recognizes her strength and sets out standards for herself. Hence, she rejects roles that do not fit into the future she projects for herself in the film industry. No wonder she landed major roles in no distant time.
As an entrepreneur, you need to set goals and objectives for your business. You cannot allow external factors to sweep you off track. Also, stay consistent with your company’s core values and learn not to shift focus that will cause damage to your business.
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3. Communicate With Your Customers
When you check Charlize Theron’s social media handles, you will discover that she communicates her next move to her fans. Sometimes, she comes live to interact with them, and answer their pressing questions about her. This act makes her a top of mind to her fans.
A business owner cannot afford to be silent when it comes to relating to customers. Actually, without customers, you are not in business. Hence, create diverse avenues that will allow you to relate with your customers on a daily basis.
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4. Stand Out
For years, Theron has proven herself to be different among other actresses. She has starred in many successful films and always brings her best to the table.
In your chosen industry, be the best that everyone wants to come to regardless of the stiff competition.
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5. Collaborate
Theron understands that, collaboration is the new competition. Hence, she works with the people making waves in her industry. You cannot travel very far if you are a lone ranger. Embrace partnership and collaboration to scale in your business.
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