Charliz Theron

Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, South Africa, on August 7, 1975. Her father Charles worked on the family's road construction business, which mother Gerda took over after Charles' death in 1991. Charlize experienced tragedy early on in her life, when her mother shot her father in self-defense, after he threatened to kill her and Charlize in a drunken state.

Since the farm they lived on had no means of entertainment (no television or movies), Charlize used her passion for dancing (specifically ballet) and her imagination to stay entertained when not caring for the farm animals. After dancing in Johannesburg, she began modeling in Milan, Italy, by the time she was 16.

charlize theron works as model

But modeling was not fulfilling enough for Charlize, who wanted to return to her original passion -- dance -- after only a year as a model. While modeling gave her the opportunity to travel, she decided to stay in New York after a modeling shoot in order to study ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School in the Big Apple.

Unfortunately, Theron suffered a knee injury that ended her ballet career. Jobless and broke, Charlize headed for the West Coast with her mother's support. In 1994, her luck changed when she made a scene at a Los Angeles bank after a teller refused to cash her check and a talent scout noticed her.

charlize becomes the devil's advocate

John Crosby (who also discovered model-turned-actress Rene Russo) encouraged Charlize to try her hand at acting. It didn't take much convincing, since she was currently unemployed. With no money to pay for a coach to perfect her English accent, Charlize set out to lose her South African accent (her mother tongue is Afrikaans) by singing along to popular music and watching American television shows.

Unfortunately for us -- but fortunately for her career -- Charlize was not cast as the lead stripper in the disastrous movie Showgirls. But Charlize finally landed her first "real" role, as Helga Svelgen in 1996's 2 Days in The Valley. She also appeared in 1996's That Thing You Do!, directed by Tom Hanks, and still voices her appreciation to Hanks for giving her that break. Theron then appeared in 1997's Trial and Error, co-starring Michael Richards, and had a supporting role in The Devil's Advocate, starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino.

charlize theron in cider house rules

After a role in Woody Allen's Celebrity as a supermodel, the long-legged beauty starred in the Disney film, Mighty Joe Young (both in 1998). 1999 was a big year for Charlize, with a string of heftier roles; she co-starred with Johnny Depp in The Astronaut's Wife and had a supporting role in the Academy Award-winning film, The Cider House Rules. She even made time to pose for Play..boy's May 1999 issue.

Reindeer Games with Ben Affleck was next, followed by The Yards and Men of Honor (all in 2000). She was also seen in the golf flick The Legend of Bagger Vance, with Matt Damon and Will Smith.

charlize theron's italian job

In 2001, Theron reunited with Keanu Reeves for the schmaltzy Sweet November (she apparently turned down the lead female role in Pearl Harbor for the role), and had a small part as a madam in 15 Minutes. After a role in Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) and the thriller Trapped (2002), Charlize showed off her driving skills in the summer 2003 hit, The Italian Job, with Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton.

charlize wins for monster

With a Best Actress Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Oscar for her role in the biopic Monster (portraying serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003), in which she was forced to flex her acting muscles and completely alter her appearance, Charlize is clearly one of the most talented and beautiful actresses of her generation... what else would you expect from AskMen.com's Most Desirable Woman in the World in 2003?

Now considered an A-list actress thanks to more than 10 Best Actress awards for Monster, Theron is keeping busy with a multitude of upcoming roles.

In 2004, Charlize can add Head in the Clouds (co-starring Penelope Cruz) and the HBO movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers to her resume. She will also star as the title role in Aeon Flux and in Class Action, both set for release in 2005.

charlize theron's boyfriends

On the romantic front, Charlize Theron was dating Stephan Jenkins, lead singer of Third Eye Blind, from 1998 to 2001. While the band's song "Blinded (When I See You)" seemed to have been written with Charlize in mind, it's clear that she has moved on: she is currently dating Irish actor Stuart Townsend.