Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) is an Academy Award winning actress. Born in Benoni, South Africa, she resides in Los Angeles, California.

Her first language is Afrikaans, and her second is English.

Theron trained as a ballet dancer and danced in both Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. She travelled to Europe and then the United States where she was accepted at the Joffrey Ballet in New York, but a knee injury ended her dancing career. She also worked as a photo model.

Soon after Charlize won a modelling contest, she was encouraged by her mother to leave South Africa. At 18 she moved to Los Angeles without knowing anyone in the city but after two weeks when she was standing in line on Hollywood Boulevard an agent gave her his card. After eight months in the city she got her first part.

In his December 7, 2003 review of the film Monster, respected film critic Roger Ebert said Theron's performance in the film's lead role was one of the greatest performances in the history of film. Ebert added that if she did not win the Oscar for best actress, then the award should be cancelled. She duly won Best Actress 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 the Best Actress Academy Award.

Theron is currently the spokeswoman for Dior perfume.

Acting filmography

• The Ice at the Bottom of the World (2006)- (announced)
• Class Action (2005)- (announced)
• Æon Flux (2005)- (filming)
• Head in the Clouds (2004)
• The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)
• Monster (2003)
• The Italian Job (2003)
• Waking Up in Reno (2002)
• Trapped (2002)
• When I Was a Girl (TV Series) (2001)
• The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
• 15 Minutes (2001)
• Sweet November (2001)
• The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
• Men of Honor (2000)
• The Yards (2000)
• Reindeer Games (2000)
• The Cider House Rules (1999)
• The Astronaut's Wife (1999)
• Mighty Joe Young (1998)
• Celebrity (1998)
• The Devil's Advocate (1997)
• Trial and Error (1997)
• Hollywood Confidential (TV) (1997)
• That Thing You Do! (1996)
• 2 Days in the Valley (1996)
• Children of the Corn III (1995)

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about Charlize Theron

• Official site http://www.charlizetheron.com/
• IMDb entry http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000234/
• Charlize Online: A Charlize Theron Fan Page http://charlizeonline.com/
• Charlize Theron's Family Tragedy http://www.mirror.co.uk/columnists/tanith/tm_objectid=14005760&method=full&sitei
  d=50143&headline=charlize-theron--the-night-mum-killed-dad-name_page.html
• Charlize Theron Directory http://www.dmoz.org/Arts/Performing_Arts/Acting/Actors_and_Actresses/T/Theron,_C
  harlize/