Biography
Escaping a volatile home life in South Africa, Theron pursued a successful modeling career prior to becoming an actress with supporting roles in such films as "That Thing You Do!" (1996) and "The Devil's Advocate" (1997). And although she displayed admirable range with turns alongside Michael Caine in "The Cider House Rules" (1999) and Woody Allen in "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" (2001), that career-defining role had yet to come her way. …
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Career Milestones
| Danced professionally in Johannesburg | ||
| Grew up on family's farm in Benoni, South Africa | ||
| Moved to Miami, FL | ||
| Relocated to NYC, taking modeling jobs to pay the rent; studied with the Joffrey Ballet for eight months before a knee injury curtailed dance career | ||
1981 | Began studying ballet at age six | |
1991 | At age 16, won an Italian modeling agency contest | |
1991 | Moved to Milan and for the next year and traveled all over Europe modeling | |
1994 | Settled in Los Angeles; talent manager John Crosby volunteered to represent her after witnessing a colorful tantrum aimed at a bank teller who would not cash her out-of-state check | |
1995 | Had a non-speaking role in the direct-to-video film "Children of the Corn III" | |
1995 | Narrowly beaten out by Elizabeth Berkley for the lead in the disastrous "Showgirls" | |
1996 | Landed a featured role in Tom Hanks' directorial debut "That Thing You Do!" | |
1996 | Made film debut in John Herzfeld's "2 Days in the Valley" | |
1997 | Won praise for her performance as Keanu Reeves' neglected wife in "The Devil's Advocate" | |
1998 | Had featured role as an oversexed supermodel in Woody Allen's "Celebrity" | |
1999 | Offered a strong turn as a woman torn between two loves in "The Cider House Rules" | |
1999 | Played the title role in the thriller "The Astronaut's Wife" | |
2000 | Co-starred with Ben Affleck in "Reindeer Games" | |
2000 | Played Robert De Niro's alcoholic wife in "Men of Honor" | |
2000 | Starred with Matt Damon and Will Smith in Robert Redford's "The Legend of Bagger Vance" | |
2001 | Reteamed with Keanu Reeves for the remake of "Sweet November" | |
2001 | Reunited with Woody Allen for a role in "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" | |
2002 | Co-starred with Billy Bob Thornton in comedy "Waking Up in Reno" | |
2002 | Starred in drama "Trapped" with Kevin Bacon as parents whose daughter is kidnapped | |
2003 | Starred alongside Mark Wahlberg as the female lead in "The Italian Job" | |
2003 | Won an Oscar portraying real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster" | |
2004 | Cast as blonde bombshell and former Bond girl Britt Ekland in the HBO biopic "The Life and Times of Peter Sellers"; received Golden Globe, SAG and Emmy nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role | |
2004 | Signed on to be the new face of Christian Dior's fragrance J'adore; appeared in print ads and TV commercials | |
2005 | Cast in "North Country" a fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States; earned Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actress | |
2005 | Guest starred on five episodes of the Fox comedy "Arrested Development," playing the love interest of Jason Bateman | |
2005 | Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (September) | |
2005 | Starred in the title role in the feature adaptation of the MTV cartoon "Aeon Flux" | |
2007 | Played a police detective opposite Tommy Lee Jones in Paul Haggis' "In the Valley of Elah" | |
2008 | Co-starred with Will Smith in the superhero comedy "Hancock" | |
2008 | Directed by boyfriend Stuart Townsend in "The Battle in Seattle," a film about the 1999 World Trade Organization protests | |
2009 | Cast as the wife, who appears in flashbacks, in the feature adaptation of Joe Penhall's novel "The Road" | |
2011 | Played a fiction writer who returns to her small town in Minnesota in "Young Adult"; film written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman | |
2012 | Co-starred as a corporate heavyweight who leads a space mission in "Prometheus," directed by Ridley Scott | |
2012 | Played the evil queen opposite Kristen Stewart in adventure drama "Snow White and the Huntsman" | |
Awards
2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in The Cider House Rules |
2003 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Monster |
2003 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in Monster |
2003 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Monster |
2003 | National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance Actress in Monster |
2003 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in Monster |
2003 | San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in Monster |
2004 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Monster |
2004 | Berlin International Film Festival for Silver Bear for Best Actress in Monster |
2004 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers |
2004 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead in Monster |
2004 | Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in Monster |
2004 | MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance in Monster |
2004 | MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss in Monster |
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in Monster |
2005 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in North Country |
2005 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Leading Role in North Country |
2005 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in North Country |
2005 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in North Country |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or Movie in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers |
2005 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers |
2006 | Los Angeles Film Festival for Spirit of Independence Award |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in North Country |
2011 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Young Adult |