Charlize Theron's Life in Photos
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Since her meteoric rise to fame in the mid-90s, Charlize Theron has become one of Hollywood's most popular actresses. Her incredible on-screen performances aren’t the only thing that makes her iconic, though. For the past three decades in the public eye, Theron has not only won an Academy Award and worked with long list of fellow acting greats but has also been a beauty icon, an animal activist, and a champion for women’s rights. Here, take a look at the star’s most memorable life and career moments throughout the years.
1992: At Home in South Africa
Theron poses beside a tractor at her family’s farm in Benoni, South Africa. The actress would move to America just a couple of short years later after spending a year modeling in Milan.
1994: Moving to America
With plans to become a professional dancer, Theron moved to New York City and joined the Joffrey Ballet School. However, a knee injury quickly shattered this dream. Because of this, Theron decided to relocate to Los Angeles to give acting a try. She left New York City with a one-way ticket and just $400 in her pocket.
1996: First Speaking Role
For the first few months in Hollywood, Theron lived in motels and barely got by. Talent agent John Crosby eventually discovered her at a Hollywood Boulevard bank. He introduced her to an acting school, and Theron soon got her first speaking role as a hitwoman named Helga Svelgen in Two Days in the Valley. Here, she walks the red carpet for the film.
1996: At the Versace Fashion Show
A fan of fashion, Theron is photographed leaving the Versace runway show held at New York City’s Bryant Park in 1996.
1997: Posing with Mom
Theron, who grew up as an only child, is pictured here with her mother, Gerda, in their hometown. Theron’s father was killed by her mother in self-defense in 1991. “My father was so drunk that he shouldn't have been able to walk when he came into the house with a gun,” Theron said in 2019 of what happened, via People. “My mom and I were in my bedroom leaning against the door because he was trying to push through the door.”
“So both of us were leaning against the door from the inside to have him not be able to push through,” she said. “He took a step back and just shot through the door three times. None of the bullets ever hit us, which is just a miracle. But in self-defense, she ended the threat [to save us].” Theron added this was why no charges were brought against her mother.
1997: Chatting with Leno
In 1997, the rising star appeared on Jay Leno alongside stand-up comedian Nick Di Paolo and musical guest Ice-T. This was Theron’s second appearance on the show.
1997: Her Breakout Role
Theron poses on the set of the 1997 hit film The Devil’s Advocate, directed by Taylor Hackford. Many consider this to be her breakout role.
1998: Mighty Joe Young
Soon after, she starred in Mighty Joe Young, a film about an orphaned gorilla named Joe.
1998: A New Relationship
In 1998, Theron started a relationship with Stephan Jenkins, the lead singer of Third Eye Blind. Here, they are seen holding hands at the Mighty Joe Young premiere in Los Angeles. The two would date until 2001.
1999: The Cider House Rules
After her back-to-back roles in The Devil’s Advocate and Mighty Joe Young, Theron would star in The Cider House Rules, which was a commercial success.
2000: The Legend of Bagger Vance
Shortly after, Theron appeared opposite Matt Damon and Will Smith in Robert Redford’s The Legend of Bagger Vance. The movie was shot primarily in South Carolina and Georgia.
2000: Men of Honor
It was also in 2000 that Theron acted in Men of Honor, a film based on the true story of Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear. Brashear was the U.S. Navy’s first African American master diver. Here, she mingles at the New York City premiere with co-stars Robert DeNiro and Cuba Gooding Jr.
2000: Starring Alongside Keanu Reeves
Theron reunited with Keanu Reeves in 2000 to film Sweet November, a story about an unexpected relationship born from a chance encounter at a DMV.
2001: A New Love
In 2001, Theron started a new romance with Irish actor Stuart Townsend. The two would date for nearly a decade.
2002: Animal Activism
A known animal advocate, Theron is pictured posing at the Best Friends Pet Adoption Festival in Burbank, California.
2003: The Italian Job
In 2003, Theron played a vault technician named Stella in the popular heist movie, The Italian Job. Other big names, including Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, and Jason Statham, also appeared in the film. Here, she is pictured walking the red carpet in a beaded Douglas Hannant dress.
2003: Critical Acclaim for Monster
Theron received critical acclaim for her role in Monster. Here, she signs autographs for excited fans waiting for her outside the film’s premiere.
2004: Winning an Academy Award
Theron received an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Monster. During her speech, she thanked her co-star Christina Ricci, calling the fellow actress the “unsung hero of this film.”
2004: Backstage with Bowie
Theron poses backstage with Bowie, Naomi Watts, and Heath Ledger during Bowie’s “A Reality Tour.” It was his first concert in Los Angeles in seven years.
2005: Walking the Red Carpet for North Country
Theron walks the North Country red carpet with Stuart Townsend. The film centers around Theron’s character, a single mother subjected to sexual harassment while working at a local iron mine.
2006: A Hollywood Star
In 2006, Theron received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Here, she is pictured smiling next to her agent, J.J. Harris. Harris represented Theron until she died in 2013.
2006: Dressed in Dior
Theron arrived at the 2006 Met Gala, dressed in Dior, with the luxury brand’s then-creative director, John Galliano. Theron began modeling for Dior J’Adore a few years earlier.
2008: United Nations Messenger of Peace
A year after founding the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, Theron was named a UN Messenger of Peace, a role she still has today. Through her role, the actress focuses on preventing HIV and eliminating violence against women.
2011: End of a Two-Year Hiatus
From 2009 to 2011, Theron took a short two-year break from filming movies. She reemerged in 2011 to star in the Jason Reitman-directed Young Adult. Her outstanding performance earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination.
2012: Evil Queen Transformation
In 2012, Theron played the role of Evil Ravenna (aka Snow White’s evil stepmother) in Snow White and the Huntsman.
2012: Adoption
Theron is pictured leaving Casa Lucio, a restaurant in Madrid, Spain, with her recently adopted child, Jackson. She would go on to adopt a second child three years later.
2013: Reconnecting with Sean Penn
Although Theron and Penn have known each other for years, they didn’t start dating until 2013. The two would remain a couple until 2015.
2015: Mad Max: Fury Road
In 2015, Theron landed a role in the post-apocalyptic film Mad Max: Fury Road. Tom Hardy, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Nicholas Hoult, and Zoë Kravitz also starred in this blockbuster hit.
2017: Promoting Atomic Blonde
Theron appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2017 to promote her new movie, Atomic Blonde. Besides having the starring role, Theron also was credited as a co-producer.
2022: The School for Good and Evil
Theron embraces friend and co-star Michelle Yeoh while on the red carpet for the premiere of their movie Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil.
2022: Block Party for a Good Cause
Theron is pictured here, dressed head-to-toe in Dior, at a charity event held at the Universal Studios backlot. The actress has always been passionate about charity work.
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