Archived // Cover Story
CHARLIZE THERON:
Fearless Beauty
By: Mimi Makabi
Stars — movie stars, rock stars, sports stars — exercise a ludicrous influence over the public consciousness. Many are happy to exploit that power; others are wrecked by it. In recent years, stars have learned that their intense presence in people’s daily lives and their access to the uppermost realms of politics, business and the media offer them a peculiar kind of moral position, should they care to use it. Many of those with the most leverage — Bono, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and, yes, Charlize Theron — have increasingly chosen to mount that pedestal.
Today, Hollywood celebrities have become central players on deeply important political and social issues like health, development aid, human and animal rights, refugees and government-sponsored violence in Darfur. In the era of People and the E! channel and the global swarm of paparazzi, stars shape themselves and their brands, through their own public acts. As a result, an entire industry has sprung up around the recruitment of celebrities to good works and has created a culture where fame is bankable not only at the box office—but more importantly, in public philanthropy.
In the hierarchy of stardom, oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron has humbly occupied a rung at the very top. With her ability to capture a plethora of characters, she relentlessly demands the audience’s full attention as soon as she appears on and off screen. She is continuously praised and admired for her inspiring, and powerful performances. But don’t think it stops there. This screen beauty and ever-inquisitive mover and shaker has taken her fame and success and turned it into Star Power at a whole new level.
Theron is the ultimate glamazon. At 5 foot 10, with her traffic-stopping beauty, image-busting courage and a killer, curvy figure, she is one of Hollywood’s finest and most talented actors today. In a short time, Theron has gone from outsider to oscar-winning star, logging critically acclaimed performances in over two dozen movies.
Moviegoers were first introduced to her seductive charm in her feature film debut, MGM's 2 Days in the Valley—starring with James Spader, Eric Stoltz, and Jeff Daniels. She’s played alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves in Devils Advocate, and then with Tom Hanks in That Thing You Do and in Jonathan Lynn’s Trial and Error. She captivated audiences as female serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the independent gem Monster and next in the drama North Country opposite Frances McDormand and Sissy Spacek. In July 2008, she will appear in, Hancock, an action packed film starring alongside Will Smith and Jason Bateman.
Although she can turn up the heat on-screen, Theron takes an equally determined approach off-camera. Her extraordinary beauty is matched only by her compassion and desire to make the world a better place. Outside her screen work, Theron has established a burgeoning reputation as one of the most passionate and outspoken activists for causes close to her heart.
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