Charlize Theron (Actor)

"I remember going out for a job for shaving cream. They only wanted a pair of legs. Ever seen a dancer's feet close-up? Naturally, the feedback was, 'She has ugly feet.' Not that I think I'm super intelligent, but I thought to myself, Jesus, what is all this about? It had nothing to do to do with what I'd learned or experienced. Not to badmouth all of the business, because it made me independent at a very young age, and I'm forever grateful for that. And I don't think any less of models - frankly I admire them for having so much perserverence. I take my hat off to supermodels who are content and happy, but I could never live that life." - Theron on modeling to Hal Rubenstein in Interview, November 1997

"In a world of premieres and movie sets and self-important, Versace-wearing, no-good bastards who indugle in every kind of bad behavior, Charlize is one of those people who are really there for the work. At the same time she is one of the more innately glamorous people you'll ever meet. One thing you should know is that you're not going to figure Charlize out. She's a very peaceful person, but she can bring mayhem to a part like nobody else, because she knows what strife is. She's not prudish, but she has an unswayable moral compass. I don't believe in astrology, but she's a Leo. And that's funny, because she is sort of a lioness." - Stephan Jenkins quoted in Vanity Fair, January 1999

"It's weird when people call you the next big thing. But I ultimately have no control over what any of these films look like or how critics will react to them or me. In all, I've made ten films and I've been blessed to have had the chance. But I've never tried to become a part of the machine to do it. Instead I've come from the school that if you work hard and deliver, you will continue to work. People always ask where I see myself in ten years, and the answer is still a big, 'I don't know'. But if I continue to do the work, to challenge myself and challenge audiences - Who knows? I might just have some career longevity yet." - Theron quoted in Empire, April 1999

"The body is such a great vehicle to tell a story, one that gets neglected. Or when people do use it, they get criticized. When you do something like "Monster" or what Nicole Kidman did [in "The Hours"] or what Halle Berry did [in "Monster's Ball"], then all of a sudden people go, 'Well, that's just a trick to win an Oscar.' But what people forget is that that's what were supposed to do. We're not supposed to look like or be ourselves." - Theron to Interview magazine, October 2005

"When I started auditioning, I was hearing, 'She's really talented but she needs to lose the accent.' So I decided to get rid of it completely. I didn't have the money for a coach, so I basically had my television on all the time. I'd listen to everything from Nickelodeon to 'Love Boat' reruns, and I'd try to catch myself when the accent came through." - Charlize Theron quoted in Detour, November 1996

"Why be afraid of your sexuality? What are you going to do? Walk around the rest of your life going, 'I can't believe I got dealt these cards!' I think of myself as a very sexual creature. I have to use that. I have no choice. I like it. I didn't grow up with a mother telling me what I had under my clothes was bad or evil. Nudity, if used correctly, is extremely powerful. It's there to shock." - Theron to Kevin Sessums in Vanity Fair, January 1999

In 2008, Charlize Theron was named the Hasty Pudding Theatricals Woman of the Year.

In November 2008, Theron was named a United Nations messenger of peace by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Her role will focus on ending violence against women.

Theron at one time was mentioned for the role of the husband-killing Roxie Hart in the film version of the Kander and Ebb musical "Chicago", a bit of irony as in 1991 her own mother shot and killed her father (reportedly an abusive drunk; the shooting was ruled self-defense).

Theron was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People for 2004

Theron's first language is Afrikaans