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The femme fatale
Posted Thu, 04 Nov 1999
Over a period of just three years, South African-born Charlize Theron has carved out a successful acting career, topping Hollywood filmmakers' most-wanted lists.
Born on the 7th of August 1975 to an Afrikaans farmer and his home-keeping wife, Charlize Theron was raised in a rural setting near Benoni in the Transvaal. At the age of six, Theron began studying ballet and instantly took to the art. When she wasn't dancing, the young Theron was wrapped up in her passion for American movies, an art form which she first encountered at a drive-in a few miles from her rustic habitat.
After convincing her parents to purchase a video machine, Theron soon became the number one customer at the tiny video shop in the heart of the little dorp which she and her folks frequented. The shop didn't have much of a selection and Charlize watched the same films over and over again. A particular favourite was the romantic comedy/fantasy "Splash", in which Tom Hanks falls for a mermaid played by Daryl Hannah. Hanks would later play a part in Theron's rise to stardom.
The teenaged Theron went to a performing arts school in Johannesburg where she honed her ballet skills. Now and again, she would take part in the school's drama classes. But both ballet and drama took a back-seat when Theron won a local modelling contest at age 16, opening up a window of opportunity for the young beauty. She was then courted by an Italian fashion scout to pursue a modelling contract in Milan. Attempting to get over the tragic death of her father, Theron jumped at the chance to make a change in her life.
She worked the European catwalks for some time, but failed to land any lucrative deals, and soon grew tired of the modelling scene. Then an American magazine flew Theron to New York for a cover shoot, and she made a spontaneous decision at age 18 to make a go of it in the Big Apple.
Ferociously independent and determined to succeed, Theron was shattered when a knee-injury ended any chances of pursuing a career in ballet. She began scrambling for modelling work, living hand to mouth. Borrowing money from her mother, who suggested that she attempt to break into movies, Theron flew to LA to become a star. She shacked up in a flea-bag motel and went out each day in search of her big break.
But that break didn't come, and Theron eventually found herself attempting to cash the final cheque sent to her from her last mode of employment back in New York. When the cashier informed her that there was a problem with the transaction and she couldn't receive her money, Theron threw a good ol' dramatic tantrum.
As luck would have it, Hollywood agent John Crosby (the man responsible for discovering Rene Russo) caught the over-heated scene and asked the flustered Theron if she was, by any chance, an actress. Theron said that she wasn't, yet she fully intended to become one.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
A hot contender for the lead in the much-slated "Showgirls" production, directed by Paul Verhoeven, Theron lost out to Elizabeth Berkley and found herself in her first screen performance as a ferociously sexy hitman's girlfriend in "2 Days In The Valley" (1996), starring opposite James Spader and Teri Hatcher.
Her smouldering cameo caused a stir and Theron soon found herself auditioning in front of Tom Hanks, the man on whom she once had a childhood crush, for a small part in his directorial debut, "That Thing You Do" (1996). "Trial And Error" (1997), a comedy with Jeff Daniels ("Dumb And Dumber") and Michael Richards (TV's "Seinfeld") followed. Then she played Keanu Reeve's wife who is seduced by Al Pacino in the thriller, "The Devil's Advocate".
After just a year in Hollywood, with industry big-wigs knocking down her door, Theron could pick and choose her projects. She portrayed a supermodel with startling conviction in Woody Allen's "Celebrity" (1998), and made the most of her first starring role in the Disney movie, "Mighty Joe Young" (1999).
"The Astronaut's Wife" saw Theron sharing screen-time with none other than Johnny Depp. She is now set to appear in a plethora of high-profile productions, most notably "Navy Diver" with Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr., "Reindeer Games" opposite Ben Affleck, and "The Legend Of Beggar Vance" alongside Matt Damon and Will Smith.
It seems there's just no stopping this plaasmeisie....
