Date of birth: 7 August 1975
Place of birth: Benoni, South Africa
Height: 5' 9"

Charlize Theron grew up on a farm outside Benoni, South Africa, as the only child. She got an education as a ballet dancer and has danced both The Swan Lake and the Nutcracker Suite. There wasn't much for a young actress or dancer to do in South Africa, so she soon travelled to Europe and USA where she got job at the Joffrey Ballet in New York. She was also able to work as a photo model. However, an injured knee put a halt to her dancing career. At the age of 18 her mother made her go to Los Angeles to try a career in the movie industry. She came to LA 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 LA she got her first part. Since then she has taken acting lessons and her career has skyrocketed, since her first major role in The Devil's Advocate (1997, also starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino). After that she has starred in several major films like The Legend Of Bagger Vance (with Matt Damon and Will Smith), Reindeer Games (with Ben Affleck), Sweet November (her second movie together with Keanu Reeves), The Cider House Rules (with a critically acclaimed perfomance), Men Of Honor (with Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr), The Yards (with Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix), The Astronaut's Wife (with Johnny Depp), Mighty Joe Young and many more. 

 

Facts about Charlize Theron:

When she was 15, her father attacked her mother, and her mother shot him in self-defense. Her father died, and her mother was not charged in the incident.

Appeared in the May 1999 issue of Playboy Magazine.

Was nominated Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama in 2000 for The Cider House Rules.

Her father is French, her mother German.

Became fashion model at age 14.

Theron is an Afrikaans name from South Africa, and it is pronounced "Te-ron", as opposed to "Ther-on."

Turned down the female lead in Pearl Harbor (2001) to star alongside Keanu Reeves in Sweet November (2001).

(2000) Named one of "People" magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.

Fluent in Afrikaans.

(September 2000) Dated George Clooney.

Her parents' names are Charles and Gerda.

Auditioned for the female lead in Showgirls (1995).

(October 2000 - July 2001) Dated Stephan Jenkins, lead singer of the band Third Eye Blind.

(July 2001) Dated actor Stuart Townsend.

Personal quotes:

"I was always Mama's girl, and I always felt like her protector." - on the revelation that Charlize's mother shot and killed Charlize's father while he was in a drunken rage. The shooting was ruled self-defense. 

"At first I found it really hard using three different English accents: South African, faking the American, faking the accent required by the job. I decided to make it easier for myself and just do one. I haven't lost my culture, just my accent."